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Symphyotrichum cordifolium (L.) G.L. Nesom

Heart-leaved aster, broad-leaved aster, common blue wood aster

KingdomPlantaePlants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
SubkingdomTracheobiontaVascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
DivisionMagnoliophytaFlowering plants, also known as angiosperms
ClassMagnoliopsidaDicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
SubclassAsteridaeA large class that encompasses asters
OrderAsteralesFlowering plants with a central disk flower and surrounding petals, like daisies
FamilyAsteraceaeThe aster family, which also includes daisies and sunflowers; from the Greek ἀστήρ, “star,” for the star-shaped flowers
GenusSymphyotrichumFrom Greek symphysis, “borne together or growing together, coalescing,” and trichinos, “hair, a single hair”
SpeciescordifoliumLatin for “heart-shaped leaves”

About plant names...

Heart-leaved asters are North American natives.

Plants: Plants are 6-48″ (15-121 cm) high, with mostly hairless stems below the flowerheads. Stems are green, reddening with age.

Leaves: Leaves are alternate, on petioles (stalks). They are 1½-6″ (3.8-15 cm) long, heart-shaped with deeply cleft bases, pointed, sharply toothed, rough on top, hairy on the underside.

Flowers: Flowerheads are in the shape of panicles, roughly cone-shaped. Individual flowers are ½-¾″ (1.5-1.9 cm) in diameter, with 8-20 (usually 10-16) blue to blue-purple ray petals. Sometimes they are pale, almost white. The central disc flowers are yellow, reddening with age. They appear from August to November.

See our aster comparison table here. Or check Arieh Tel's well-researched and informative aster comparison site.

Online References:

The Plants of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

The Connecticut Botanical Society's Connecticut wildflowers site

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

The Missouri Botanical Garden

Ontario Wildflowers

EFloras

References:

Clemants, Steven; Gracie, Carol, Wildflowers in the Field and Forest, Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 18

Newcomb, Lawrence, Morrison, Gordon (Illus.), Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide, Little, Brown and Company, 1977, p. 454

Peterson, Roger Tory, McKenny, Margaret, Peterson Field Guides: Wildflowers—Northeastern and North Central North America, Houghton Mifflin, 1968, p. 354

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (heart-leaved aster, broad-leaved aster, common blue wood aster)

9/15/2012 · Mt. Wachusett, Princeton, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 9 × 6″ (22 × 14 cm)

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (heart-leaved aster, broad-leaved aster, common blue wood aster)

10/5/2013 · Nashua River Rail Trail, East Pepperell, Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 8 × 6″ (20 × 14 cm)

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (heart-leaved aster, broad-leaved aster, common blue wood aster)

8/28/2013 · Pearl Hill State Park, Townsend, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 9 × 6″ (23 × 16 cm)

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (heart-leaved aster, broad-leaved aster, common blue wood aster)

9/24/2013 · Squannacook River Wildlife Area, Townsend, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 8 × 6″ (20 × 14 cm) ID is uncertain

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (heart-leaved aster, broad-leaved aster, common blue wood aster)

10/5/2013 · Nashua River Rail Trail, East Pepperell, Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (18 × 12 cm)

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (heart-leaved aster, broad-leaved aster, common blue wood aster)

9/24/2013 · Squannacook River Wildlife Area, Townsend, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 9 × 6″ (23 × 16 cm) ID is uncertain

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (heart-leaved aster, broad-leaved aster, common blue wood aster)

9/25/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 6 × 9″ (14 × 22 cm)

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (heart-leaved aster, broad-leaved aster, common blue wood aster)

9/30/2013 · Moose Point State Park, Searsport, Maine · ≈ 9 × 6″ (22 × 15 cm)

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (heart-leaved aster, broad-leaved aster, common blue wood aster)

8/28/2013 · Pearl Hill State Park, Townsend, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 11 × 7″ (28 × 18 cm)

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (heart-leaved aster, broad-leaved aster, common blue wood aster)

9/18/2013 · Beaver Brook Assn Conservation Lands, Rte. 130, Hollis, New Hamp­shire · ≈ 6 × 8″ (14 × 20 cm) ID is uncertain

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (heart-leaved aster, broad-leaved aster, common blue wood aster)

8/28/2013 · Pearl Hill State Park, Townsend, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 11 × 7″ (28 × 18 cm)

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (heart-leaved aster, broad-leaved aster, common blue wood aster)

9/25/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 4½ × 7″ (11 × 17 cm)

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (heart-leaved aster, broad-leaved aster, common blue wood aster)

10/5/2013 · Nashua River Rail Trail, East Pepperell, Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 9 × 6″ (22 × 15 cm)

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (heart-leaved aster, broad-leaved aster, common blue wood aster)

9/18/2013 · Beaver Brook Assn Conservation Lands, Rte. 130, Hollis, New Hamp­shire · ≈ 11 × 7″ (28 × 18 cm) ID is uncertain

Aster cordifolius L.

Aster cordifolius L. var. furbishiae Fernald

Aster cordifolius L. var. incisus Britton

Aster cordifolius L. var. lanceolatus Porter

Aster cordifolius L. var. moratus (Shinners) Shinners

Aster cordifolius L. var. polycephalus Porter

Aster cordifolius L. var. racemiflorus Fernald

Aster cordifolius L. var. sagittifolius (Wedemeyer ex Willd.) A.G. Jones

Aster cordifolius L. ssp. sagittifolius (Wedemeyer ex Willd.) A.G. Jones

Aster finkii Rydb. var. moratus Shinners

Aster lowrieanus Porter var. incisus (Britton) Porter

Aster lowrieanus Porter var. lanceolatus Porter

Aster plumarius Burgess

Aster sagittifolius Wedemeyer ex Willd.

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (L.) G.L. Nesom var. furbishiae (Fernald) G.L. Nesom

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (L.) G.L. Nesom var. lanceolatum (Porter) G.L. Nesom

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (L.) G.L. Nesom var. moratum (Shinners) G.L. Nesom

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (L.) G.L. Nesom var. polycephalum (Porter) G.L. Nesom

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (L.) G.L. Nesom var. racemiflorum (Fernald) G.L. Nesom

Symphyotrichum sagittifolium (Wedemeyer ex Willd.) G.L. Nesom

 

Symphyotrichum cordifolium description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 5 Oct 2021.

© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.


 

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (heart-leaved aster, broad-leaved aster, common blue wood aster)

9/15/2012 · Mt. Wachusett, Princeton, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 8 × 12″ (20 × 31 cm)

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (heart-leaved aster, broad-leaved aster, common blue wood aster)

10/5/2013 · Nashua River Rail Trail, East Pepperell, Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 5 × 8″ (13 × 19 cm)

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (heart-leaved aster, broad-leaved aster, common blue wood aster)

9/10/2016 · Worcester Road Trail, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hamp­shire

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (heart-leaved aster, broad-leaved aster, common blue wood aster)

9/15/2012 · Mt. Wachusett, Princeton, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm)

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (heart-leaved aster, broad-leaved aster, common blue wood aster)

9/15/2012 · Mt. Wachusett, Princeton, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm)

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (heart-leaved aster, broad-leaved aster, common blue wood aster)

9/10/2016 · Worcester Road Trail, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hamp­shire

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (heart-leaved aster, broad-leaved aster, common blue wood aster)

9/18/2013 · Beaver Brook Assn Conservation Lands, Rte. 130, Hollis, New Hamp­shire · ≈ 7 × 11″ (18 × 28 cm) ID is uncertain

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (heart-leaved aster, broad-leaved aster, common blue wood aster)

9/30/2013 · Moose Point State Park, Searsport, Maine · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm)

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (heart-leaved aster, broad-leaved aster, common blue wood aster)

10/5/2013 · Nashua River Rail Trail, East Pepperell, Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 8 × 6″ (20 × 14 cm)

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (heart-leaved aster, broad-leaved aster, common blue wood aster)

9/24/2013 · Squannacook River Wildlife Area, Townsend, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm) ID is uncertain

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (heart-leaved aster, broad-leaved aster, common blue wood aster)

10/5/2013 · Nashua River Rail Trail, East Pepperell, Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (18 × 12 cm)

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (heart-leaved aster, broad-leaved aster, common blue wood aster)

9/25/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 6 × 9″ (14 × 22 cm)

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (heart-leaved aster, broad-leaved aster, common blue wood aster)

9/24/2013 · Squannacook River Wildlife Area, Townsend, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm) ID is uncertain

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (heart-leaved aster, broad-leaved aster, common blue wood aster)

10/5/2013 · Nashua River Rail Trail, East Pepperell, Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm)

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (heart-leaved aster, broad-leaved aster, common blue wood aster)

9/30/2013 · Moose Point State Park, Searsport, Maine · ≈ 9 × 6″ (23 × 16 cm)

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (heart-leaved aster, broad-leaved aster, common blue wood aster)

10/5/2013 · Nashua River Rail Trail, East Pepperell, Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (18 × 12 cm)

Range: Zones 3-8:

About this map...