Page authors: Don Knoke, David Giblin
Symphyotrichum boreale
northern bog aster, rush aster, slender white aster
Specimens
Photos

Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in northeastern Washington; Alaska to Washington, east across Canada and the northern U.S. to the Atlantic Coast.

Habitat: Cold bogs.

Flowers: July-September

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Threatened in Washington (WANHP)

Pollination: Bees, flies, butterflies

Description:
General:

Slender perennial from slim, creeping rhizomes, the stem 1.5-8 dm. tall, glabrous below, becoming puberulent in lines upward.

Leaves:

Leaves linear, 2-5 mm. wide, slightly clasping, entire, the lowermost reduced and early-deciduous.

Flowers:

Inflorescence short and broad, the heads few, small, the disk 7-13 mm. wide; involucre 5-7 mm. high, glabrous, its slender, pointed bracts somewhat imbricate, often with purple tips and margins; disk flowers yellow; rays 20-50, white or pale bluish, 7-15 mm. long; pappus of numerous capillary bristles.

Fruits:

Fruit an achene.

Accepted Name:
Symphyotrichum boreale (Torr. & A. Gray) Á. Löve & D. Löve
Publication: Taxon. 31: 358. 1982. 1982.

Synonyms & Misapplications:
Aster borealis (Torr. & A. Gray) Provancher
Aster junciformis Rydb. [HC]
Aster laxiflorus Lindl. var. borealis Torr. & A. Gray
Additional Resources:

PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Symphyotrichum boreale in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database

WA Flora Checklist: Symphyotrichum boreale checklist entry

OregonFlora: Symphyotrichum boreale information

E-Flora BC: Symphyotrichum boreale atlas page

CalPhotos: Symphyotrichum boreale photos

2 photographs:
Group by