Eurybia divaricata - White Wood Aster

A profusion of airy white flowers with gold to red eyes, over a mound of small green leaves; thrives in shade and tolerates dry conditions; water the root zone instead of from the top to reduce fungal disease; water regularly to encourage more blooms

Height: 30 inches. Spread: 30 inches. Sun: partial shade to full shade. Hardiness zone: 3a.

Ornamental features

White Wood Aster has masses of beautiful white flat-top daisy flowers with gold eyes at the ends of the stems from mid to late summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings. Its small heart-shaped leaves remain light green in color throughout the season.

Landscape

White Wood Aster is an herbaceous perennial with an upright spreading habit of growth. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

Recommended for: Mass Planting, Rock/Alpine Gardens, Border Edging, General Garden Use, Groundcover, Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens, Container Planting.

Planting and growing

White Wood Aster will grow to be about 30 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 30 inches. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 4 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant does best in partial shade to shade. It prefers to grow in average to dry locations, and dislikes excessive moisture. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. This plant should not require much in the way of fertilizing once established, although it may appreciate a shot of general-purpose fertilizer from time to time early in the growing season. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is native to parts of North America. It can be propagated by division.

Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder.