Eastern Star Woodland Aster. This eastern U. S. native Aster is far more popular in Europe than here. It is one of the few Asters that is suitable for shade and is covered with small white flowers in late summer and early fall which are produced in such numbers that the ground appears to be covered in a billowy carpet of snow. The ideal site for this plant is morning sun which will keep diseases down and "dry" out the plants from dew. It even does well planted amongst Hostas and other shade perennials which can grow up through it. I have always said that taxonomist have to justify their existence by changing established botanical names. Now we have another example. This plant is now officially Eurybia divaricatus instead of Aster divaricatus. It will probably take several decades before the general public gets the word. I consider this one of the premier native groundcovers. The first picture is compliments of the Missouri Botanical Garden and the second picture is compliments of the Mt. Cuba Center.
Zones 4a-9b
