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Calico Aster
ExplorePlants
Calico Aster
symphyotrichum lateriflorum
The Calico Aster is a beautiful plant that blooms with colorful flowers in late summer and fall! It attracts butterflies and bees, making gardens lively and fun to explore.
Habitat: Calico Asters thrive in meadows, fields, and along roadsides.
Appearance
The Calico Aster has many small, daisy-like flowers with white ray petals and a yellow-to-reddish central disk. Its distinguishing feature is the often purple-tipped ray petals, giving it a speckled, 'calico' appearance.
KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderAsteralesFamilyAsteraceaeGenusSymphyotrichum
Category
PlantsRarity
Common
Danger
0/5 · No known danger
Snaps
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Interesting facts
Its tiny flowers, like miniature daisies, attract a huge party of buzzing bees and butterflies!
The name 'aster' means 'star' in Greek, perfectly describing its many starry blossoms!
This plant can grow in tough spots, even poor soil, showing it's a real survivor!
Watch closely: its white petals can sometimes have tiny purple blushes, like nature's paint strokes!
Special abilities
Ability
Late Season Lifeline
Calico Aster can bloom late into fall, providing essential nectar for pollinators when other flowers have faded.
Ability
Wind Whispers
Calico Aster has fluffy seeds that catch the wind, helping it spread its offspring far and wide to new homes.
Ability
Spreading Roots
Calico Aster has underground rhizomes that allow it to spread and form dense patches, securing its spot.
Measurements & details
- Height
- 30-90 cm
- Spread
- 30-60 cm
- Flower Size
- 0.5-1.5 cm
- Bloom Season
- Late summer to fall
- Edible
- No
- Toxicity
- None
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Pollination Method
- Insect
Ecological connections
pollinates
European honey bee
Apis mellifera
Visits flowers for nectar.
pollinates
Common eastern bumblebee
Bombus impatiens
Feeds on its late blooms.
pollinates
Monarch butterfly
Danaus plexippus
Sips nectar from blossoms.
eaten by
White-tailed deer
Odocoileus virginianus
Deer browse on its foliage.
Traits
Perennial
Perennial plants live for more than two years, typically returning to grow and bloom each year from their roots.
Colorful
Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
Grassland
Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
Herbivorous
This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
Pollinator
Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.
Also known as
Frost AsterSide Flowering AsterWhite Aster
Collections
Safety
Danger
0/5 · No known danger
No special safety notes yet.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall is Calico Aster?
30-90 cm
How wide does Calico Aster spread?
30-60 cm
How big are the flowers on Calico Aster?
0.5-1.5 cm
When does Calico Aster bloom?
Late summer to fall
Is Calico Aster edible?
No
Is Calico Aster toxic?
None
What is Calico Aster's lifecycle?
Perennial
How is Calico Aster pollinated?
Insect
Snap Map
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Recent Snaps
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