Common Name:

General Information

Symphyotrichum oblongifolium is a herbaceous perennial plant growing from a woody, rhizomatous rootstock; it produces a loose cluster of erect to ascending, more or less branched stems 10 - 80cm tall, occasionally to 100cm[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental, where it can be used as a ground cover - there are some named forms[]. It is considered a good plant for cut flowers[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Eastern and central N. America - Montana to Pennsylvania, south to northern Mexico, New Mexico, Alabama and North Carolina

Habitat

Open, dry, rocky, sandy, gravelly, or shaly soils, limestone glades and outcrops, sandstone or calcareous cliffs, open-wooded bluffs, prairies, pastures, dunes, roadsides; at elevations from 100 - 1,500 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.60 m
Pollinators	Bees, Lepidoptera
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

The plant grows in the wild in well-drained moist to dry soils in full sun to partial shade[]. Prefers neutral to slightly acidic soils[]. Dit does well in both sandy and clay soils, and generally tolerates poor soils[]. Established plants are drought tolerant[].
The rigid stems give off a balsam-like scent when crushed[]. The rigid, toothless, oblong, blue-green leaves are fragrant when crushed[].
The plant can spread freely by means of stolons and may need regular thinning in order to control its spread[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

A tea made from the roots has been used to treat fevers[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Aromatic aster is an adaptable, easy to grow ground cover for dry, sunny locations[].
It will grow on disturbed sites and can be used for wildlife habitat restoration[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - surface sow in spring in a cold frame. Do not allow the compost to become dry. Pre-chilling the seed for two weeks can improve germination rates[]. Germination usually takes place within 2 weeks at 20°c[]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.
Division in spring or autumn[]. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted straight into their permanent positions whist smaller clumps are best potted up and kept in a cold frame until they are growing away well.
Basal cuttings in late spring. Harvest the shoots when they are about 10 - 15cm long with plenty of underground stem. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer.