Arrowleaf Aster

Symphyotrichum urophyllum, commonly known as the White Arrowleaf Aster, is an herbaceous perennial that forms a semi-evergreen rosette of basal leaves up to 10 inches across. In the spring, this plant sends up one or more upright to ascending stems with alternate leaves. The stems are light green, yellowish green, round, and somewhat fragile.



The plant produces a cluster of numerous, short-stalked, daisy-like flowers at the top, emerging from the upper leaf axils. The flowers are ½ to ¾ inches across, with 8 to 15 white to pale blue petals (ray flowers) surrounding a pale yellow center disk that turns reddish as they age.



The distinctive leaves of the Arrowleaf Aster set it apart from other asters with small, white flowers. While several other asters have heart-shaped leaves, they have blue to violet flowers in more open clusters and broader phyllaries that are pressed close, not flaring out.