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Asteraceae
Prairie Aster
Symphyotrichum turbinellum
Enduring elegance.
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Genus
- Symphyotrichum
- Native to
- United States
- Bloom season
- Fall
- Type
- perennial
- Height
- 2-4 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun to partial shade
- Soil
- well-drained, average to dry
- Water
- low to moderate
- Hardiness
- 4-8
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- Prairie asters are among the last wildflowers to bloom before winter, providing critical late-season nectar for migrating monarch butterflies.
- The genus was split from Aster in 1999, and many gardeners still use the old name, causing ongoing confusion at nurseries.
- Each flower head is actually a composite of tiny ray and disc florets, with a single 'daisy' containing over 40 individual flowers.
- The plant spreads by underground rhizomes and can form extensive colonies in undisturbed prairie remnants.
- Native Americans brewed aster root tea as a treatment for fevers and headaches.
Color meanings
0
patience
1
daintiness
2
afterthought