Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Country Or Region Of Origin
U.S.A. to North East Mexico
Plant Profile: Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Taxonomy: Symphyotrichum oblongifoliumNames
Aromatic Aster, Eastern Aromatic Aster
Phonetic Spelling:sim-fy-oh-TRY-kum ob-long-ee-FOH-lee-um
Genus:Symphyotrichum
Species:oblongifolium
Family:Asteraceae
Aromatic Aster is a perennial wildflower native to the region, named for the balsam-like scent released when its sturdy stems are crushed. This plant thrives in rocky outcrops and dry woodlands, particularly over limestone and calcareous shale. Its leaves are simple, oblong, and alternate, measuring between 0.5 to 3 inches in length. The flowers consist of about 30 purple ray flowers surrounding yellow disk flowers. The bracts are glandular, featuring long, green tips that are either loose or spreading. The plant produces flat, hairy achenes and propagates through stolons.
In 2000, Aromatic Aster was honored as the Wildflower of the Year in North Carolina, a recognition facilitated by the North Carolina Botanical Garden with financial backing from the Garden Club of North Carolina.
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium Feature Summary
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium Image Gallery
Tags
#drought tolerant
#fall flowers
#purple flowers
#native perennial
#blue flowers
#NC native
#pollinator plant
#poor soils tolerant
#food source fall
#food source herbage
#food source nectar
#food source pollen
#food source hard mast fruit
#butterfly friendly
#bee friendly
#audubon
#NC Wildflower of the Year
Similar Plants
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium Feature Summary
Attributes
U.S.A. to North East Mexico
Pollinator plant
Perennial
Fruit
Achenes with small turfs of light brown hair are distributed by the wind. Displays from October to November
Achene
< 1 inch
< 1 inch
Flowers
1-1.5 inch wide composite flowers have 25-30 blue-purple rays with yellow center disc flowers. Blooms from September to October. One of the last flowers blooming before a heavy frost.
Purple/Lavender
Good Cut
Showy
Long-lasting
more than 20 petals/rays
Radial
1-3 inches
Leaves
2-3 inch long by .5 inch wide simple, clasping, alternate, oblong leaves with entire margins. Become smaller as they ascend the stem. Fragrant when crushed.
Green
Simple
Alternate
Oblanceolate
Entire
1-3 inches
Fragrant
< 1 inch
Stem
Slightly pubescent round green stems turn brown with age.
Brown/Copper
Green
Round
Hairy (pubescent)
Straight
Whole Plant Traits
Perennial
Native Plant
Erect
Spreading
Medium
Low
Medium
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasionally Dry
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
4a
4b
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
3a
3b
Clay
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Landscape
Butterfly Garden
Pollinator Garden
Native Garden
Border
Drought
Poor Soil
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Butterflies
Pollinators
Songbirds
Small Mammals
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium Image Gallery
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium Attributes
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Wildlife Value
Pollinator plant
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium Fruit
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Fruit Description
Achenes with small turfs of light brown hair are distributed by the wind. Displays from October to November
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Fruit Type
Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Display/Harvest Time
Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Fruit Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Fruit Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium Flowers
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Flower Description
1-1.5 inch wide composite flowers have 25-30 blue-purple rays with yellow center disc flowers. Blooms from September to October. One of the last flowers blooming before a heavy frost.
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Flower Color
Purple/Lavender
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Flower Inflorescence
Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Flower Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Flower Petals
2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Flower Shape
Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Flower Size
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium Leaves
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Leaf Description
2-3 inch long by .5 inch wide simple, clasping, alternate, oblong leaves with entire margins. Become smaller as they ascend the stem. Fragrant when crushed.
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Leaf Color
Green
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Leaf Shape
Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Leaf Margin
Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Leaf Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long-lasting
Showy
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Leaf Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium Stem
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Stem Description
Slightly pubescent round green stems turn brown with age.
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Stem Color
Brown/Copper
Green
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Stem Cross Section
Angular
Oval
Round
Square
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Stem Surface
Corky Ridges
Covered with a powdery bloom (glaucous)
Dull
Hairy (pubescent)
Polished
Smooth (glabrous)
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Stem Form
Straight
Zig Zags
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium Whole Plant Traits
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Habit/Form
Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Rapid
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Maintenance
Low
Medium
High
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Texture
Fine
Medium
Coarse
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium Cultural Conditions
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: NC Region
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
3a
3b
4a
4b
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Soil Texture
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium Landscape
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Landscape Theme
Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Design Feature
Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Resistance To Challenges
Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Landscape Location
Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium: Attracts
Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees
