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Eurybia divaricata
Also called Common White Heart Leaf Aster, Heart Leaf Aster, White Heart Leaved Aster, Heart Leaved Aster
White wood aster is a native North American perennial aster that forms spreading colonies from rhizomes and bears white, yellow-centred flowers in late summer and fall. It grows best in part shade with moderate, consistent moisture.
Eurybia divaricata (syn. Aster divaricatus), the white wood aster, is an herbaceous plant native to eastern North America. It occurs in the eastern United States, primarily in the Appalachian Mountains, though it is also present in southeastern Canada, in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia. In the U.S. it is abundant and common, but in Canada it is considered threatened due to its restricted distribution. It has been introduced to a number of countries in Europe. It can be found in dry open woods as well as along wood-edges and clearings. The species is distinguished by its flower heads that have yellow centers and white rays that are arranged in flat-topped corymbiform arrays, emerging in the late summer through fall. Other distinguishing characteristics include its serpentine stems and sharply serrated narrow heart-shaped leaves.
While the white wood aster does not compare in popularity to the other cultivated asters, such as the New England aster, it does have its niche, especially in North American native gardens. The plant flowers earlier than many other asters, does not require any staking to support it and flowers well in shade. It is attractive to gardeners due to its showy white flowers that emerge in mid to late summer, its prostrate habit, as well as its hardiness and the minimal maintenance it requires. It has little problem with both disease and insects. They do require partial shade, however, and they perform best when given about 4 hours of sunlight. The plants can be cut to 20 cm (8 in) in the spring in order to delay flowering and increase the number of branches. It is marginally hardy in USDA zone 3, and fully hardy from zones 4 to 8. It is commonly available in North American nurseries and several cultivars have been selected, including:
'Fiesta', which has leaves streaked with white, giving the effect of confetti, and flowers that are light lavender.
Eurybia divaricata is present primarily in the Appalachian Mountains in eastern North America, with some populations in adjacent lowlands. It can be found on dry to mesic sites in eastern deciduous and mixed deciduous woods as well as on edges, clearings, and roadsides. It is most common at altitudes ranging from 0 to 1,200 m (0 to 3,937 ft), though it can be found as high as 1,700 m (5,600 ft). In Canada, it is present in Ontario and Quebec, while in the United States it can be found in all states from Maine south as far as Alabama and west to Ohio and Kentucky. It also has been introduced to Europe, particularly to the Netherlands.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Eurybia divaricata by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
