This native woodland aster is everywhere right now
iNaturalist Community
Native Plants
If you've got a shady edge in your yard that struggles to bloom in October, this low-maintenance native aster is flowering en masse right now and nearly 700 people spotted it in the past week alone.
Common Blue Wood Aster is a native wildflower with pale blue, daisy-like flowers that thrives in shady woodland edges and blooms late into fall when most other plants have quit. Right now it's one of the most-logged plants on iNaturalist in the whole country, with nearly 700 sightings in a single week. That kind of surge usually means it's in peak bloom, so if you're out walking in the woods this month, keep an eye out.
Key Findings
698 observations logged in the U.S. in the past 7 days, among the highest counts for any plant species on the platform
Observation count rose 2.3% week-over-week, from 682 to 698
The species belongs to the aster family (Asteraceae) and is tracked as a trending citizen-science entry
chevron_right Technical Summary
A fall-blooming native wildflower, the Common Blue Wood Aster, is topping iNaturalist's U.S. observation charts this week with 698 sightings, up slightly from 682 the week before.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Trending: Common Blue Wood Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium) — 698 observations this week
Common Blue Wood Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium) is a species in the family Asteraceae. iNaturalist users recorded 698 observations of it in the United States in the 7 days before today, among t...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
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Symphyotrichum cordifolium, commonly known as common blue wood aster, heartleaf aster, and blue wood-aster, is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant in the family Asteraceae native to central and eastern North America. It reaches heights of up to 1.2 meters and has bluish daisy-like flowers whic...