Smooth Blue Aster
Symphyotrichum laeve
Summary 7
Symphyotrichum laeve (formerly Aster laevis) is a flowering plant native to Canada, the United States, and Coahuila (Mexico). It has the common names of smooth blue aster, smooth aster, smooth-leaved aster, glaucous Michaelmas-daisy and glaucous aster.
Description 8
Smooth aster is 20 to 70 centimeters (8 to 28 inches) tall. Its leaves are arranged alternately on the stems, and their shape varies among lanceolate, oblong-ovate, oblong-obovate, and ovate. They measure from 3 to 20 centimeters (1 to 8 inches) long and from 1 to 2.5 cm (3⁄8 to 1 in) wide. They are usually hairless, and the leaf edges are entire or bluntly or sharply toothed (crenate or serrate), sometimes with smaller teeth (serrulate).
The flower heads are arranged in clusters (panicles). Each flower head has 13 to 23 ray florets with pale to dark blue or purple petals (laminae), and 19 to 33 disc florets that start out yellow and eventually turn purplish-red. The whole flowerhead measures 13 to 25 millimeters (1⁄2 to 1 in) across.
The seeds are cypselae with pappi (bristles at their tips). Like the hairs on dandelion seeds, the pappi allow the seeds to be spread by the wind.
Distribution and habitat 7
Symphyotrichum laeve varieties are native to Canada, the United States, and Coahuila (Mexico). The species is introduced in Québec and New Brunswick.
S. laeve grows in fields, open woods, and along roadsides in rocky or dry soil and full sun.
Ecology/Wildlife Use 8
Symphyotrichum laeve blooms in late summer and early fall. It is pollinated by many native bees and attracts butterflies. It is a larval host for the pearl crescent butterfly (Phyciodes tharos).
Read More 9
- https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=g420
- https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/sm_asterx.htm
- https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SYLA3
Sources and Credits
- (c) Cassy Penn, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Cassy Penn
- (c) Humaira Enayetullah, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Humaira Enayetullah
- (c) aarongunnar, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Symphyotrichum_laeve_51511957.jpg
- (c) Tom Potterfield, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/tgpotterfield/21111304316/
- (c) Denis Aristides Caldas Conrado, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asteraceae10.jpg
- (c) Nate Martineau, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Symphyotrichum_laeve_34324805.jpg
- (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphyotrichum_laeve
- Adapted by Murfreesboro,TN, Natural Resource Division from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphyotrichum_laeve
- (c) Murfreesboro,TN, Natural Resource Division, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
More Info
- iNat taxon page
- Biodiversity Heritage Library
- BOLD Systems BIN search
- Calflora
- CalPhotos
- Catalogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia
- eFloras.org
- Flora of North America (beta)
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
- Go Botany
- HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
- IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
- Jepson eFlora
- Maryland Biodiversity Project
- NatureServe Explorer 2.0
- NBN Atlas
- New Zealand Plant Conservation Network
- OregonFlora.org
- SEINet Symbiota portals
- Tropicos
- USDA PLANTS database
- VASCAN by Canadensys
- World Flora Online
- 日本のレッドデータ検索システム
- 植物和名−学名インデックス YList
iNat Map
| Form | Forb/herb |
|---|---|
| Light | Full sun |
| Soil moisture | Dry, Medium |
| Site | Disturbed areas, Glade, Meadow, Savanna |
| Bloom period | August, September, October |
| Bloom color | Blue, Purple/violet |
| Fruit/seeds/etc. | Other |
| Wildlife supported | Birds - songbirds, Birds - other, Insects - larval host, Insects - pollinators, Insects - other, Mammals - large, Mammals - small |
| Family | Sunflower Family |
