Adaptations of Smooth Aster

Species Identification

• Smooth aster produces daisylike, radial blooms about ¾ to 1¼ inches across with rounded, buttonlike yellow centers. Sometimes the flower petals are blue or white instead of a purple hue. The flowers appear atop tall stalks in September or October on plants that reach a maximum height of 2 to 4 feet and a full spread of 1 to 2 feet. Smooth aster stems are generally non-branched with toothed, bluish-green foliage. The appellation “smooth” comes from the plant's slick, hairless stems and smooth, leathery foliage.

Perennial Plant

• Hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 8, smooth aster is a herbaceous perennial native to parts of the U.S. Midwest. Well-adapted there, it propagates through several techniques. Considered an herb, the plant spreads by underground rhizomes that withstand cold well and help the plant form colonies. It also reproduces readily through self-seeding and will reappear year after year in stands if allowed to go to seed.

Waterwise

• Because it evolved in areas that sometimes have extremely hot, dry summers and wet, rainy falls and springs, smooth aster developed the ability to withstand several moisture conditions. It grows in both dry and wet areas, including thickets and open woods that may be dry or flooded, open roadsides and ditches, the shores of lakes and the slopes of mountains. It tolerates drought and dry soil, though eventually drought may cause some leaf scorch and leaf curling.

Habitat Hardiness

• Its adaptation to a wide range of native habitats also means smooth aster will grow in several settings within a garden. It puts up with shallow, rocky soil, where the plant's fibrous roots help it to stay put. It grows equally well in sandy or loamy soil and will put up with both full sunlight and partial shade, though it does better in full sunlight than partial shade. It has no serious insect or disease problems.