Scientific Name:
Symphyotrichum subspicatum
Pronunciation:
sim-fy-oh-TRY-kum sub-spy-KAY-tum
Common Name:
Douglas' aster, daisy
Family Name:
Asteraceae
Plant Type:
Herbaceous perennial, Weed (horticultural)
Key ID Features:
Leaves oblanceolate or spoon-shaped to narrowly elliptic or linear, margins entire or serrate, apices acute, basal leaves few (wither after flowering), up to 15cm long. Heads with 20-30 violet ray florets that are 10-15mm long, yellow disk florets that turn reddish, July to Sept.; achenes brown or purplish.
Habit:
Spreading
Form:
Mounded
Texture:
Fine
Mature Height:
0.7 - 1.3m
Mature Spread:
0.6 - 1.0m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
B.C. east of Cascades, B.C. west of Cascades, U.S. - northwest (a polyploid species derived from different combinations of species including S. chilense, S. eatonii, S. foliaceum, S. laeve, and S. spathulatum. Efloras.org)
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 4: (-34 to -29 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Attract beneficial insects, Fall interest, Perennial border
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate, Basal
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Pubescent
Colour in Summer:
Green, Purple, Silver / Grayish, Nearly Black
Colour in Fall:
Purple, Dark-red
Shapes:
Elliptic, Oblanceolate, Obovate
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Attenuate, Cuneate
Margins:
Entire, Serrulate
Additional Info:
Basal leaves dry up as flowers form
Inflorescence Type:
Head (capitulum), Floriferous, Corymb-like
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Corolla Shape:
Ligulate
Ovary Position:
Inferior
Colour (petals):
Showy, Yellow, Violet
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Jul, Aug, Sep
Fruit Type:
Achene
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Sep, Oct
Additional Info:
Not showy, Persistent
Bark or Stem Colour:
Red
Organ Modifications:
Rhizomes
Propagation:
Seed, Division - below ground parts
Pest Susceptibility:
(Pest resistant, Disease resistant)
Course(s):
- not used (on campus)
Location(s):
- (BCE) Boulevard (Circular) Eastend
- (BHE) Boulevard by Hwy. 10 Eastend