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Manyray aster

Symphyotrichum anomalum

Also called Limestone Heart Leaf Aster, Many Ray Aster

Manyray aster
Photo: Samantha, CC BY-SA 4.0

Manyray aster is a North American perennial wildflower with lavender to blue-purple daisy-like flowers, native to dry, limestone-based soils in the central US. It is grown in the garden for its butterfly-attracting blooms and needs sun and well-drained soil.

Family
Asteraceae (Daisy family)
Grows as
Perennial
Light
Full sun
Water
Water moderately while establishing, then let the soil dry between waterings; it tolerates drought once established.
Soil
Well-drained soil, including lean or limestone-based soils.
Temperature
Hardy in cold winters; suited to the central and eastern US climate.
How easy
Easy
Native range
NC. U.S.A. to Arkansas

About

Symphyotrichum anomalum (formerly Aster anomalus) is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae native to Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. With the common name of manyray aster, it is a perennial, herbaceous plant that may reach 20 to 120 centimeters (3⁄4 to 4 feet) tall. Its flowers, which are attractive to butterflies, have lavender or blue to purple, seldom white, ray florets and cream or light yellow, then pinkish-purple disk florets.

Where it grows

Symphyotrichum anomalum is native to Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. It can be found in dry soils over limestone and in acid soils at elevations between 50 and 500 meters (160 and 1,640 feet).

Other Symphyotrichum plants

Scaleleaf aster · Anticosti Island aster · Western aster · Symphyotrichum bimater · Northern bog aster · Symphyotrichum bullatum · Symphyotrichum burgessii · Western meadow aster · Carneros Aster · Savanna aster · Symphyotrichum chihuahuense · Pacific aster

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Symphyotrichum anomalum 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.

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