Symphyotrichum cordifolium var. furbishiae (Fernald) G.L.Nesom
Symphyotrichum cordifolium var. lanceolatum (Porter) G.L.Nesom
Symphyotrichum cordifolium var. moratum (Shinners) G.L.Nesom
Symphyotrichum cordifolium var. polycephalum (Porter) G.L.Nesom
Symphyotrichum cordifolium var. racemiflorum (Fernald) G.L.Nesom
Symphyotrichum lowrieanum (Porter) G.L.Nesom
Symphyotrichum sagittifolium (Wedem. ex Willd.) G.L.Nesom
Symphyotrichum cordifolium (formerly Aster cordifolius), commonly known as common blue wood aster, heartleaf aster,[3] and blue wood-aster,[4] is a perennialherbaceous flowering plant in the familyAsteraceaenative to central and eastern North America. It reaches heights of up to 1.2 meters (4 feet) and has bluish daisy-like flowers which bloom late-summer and fall in its range.
Symphyotrichum cordifolium reaches heights of up to 1.2 meters (4 feet). The lower leaves are heart-shaped, while leaves higher on the stem tend to be sessile with more rounded bases. The composite flowers, which have bluish to rarely white ray florets and light yellow disc florets that eventually turn purple, emerge in August and persist into October.[3]
S. cordifolium botanical illustration from Addisonia, New York Botanical Garden (1917).
Hybrids
Where the range of Symphyotrichum cordifolium overlaps with that of S. puniceum, the F1 hybridnamedSymphyotrichum × tardiflorum can occur. Symphyotrichum × schistosum is the hybrid of S. cordifolium and S. laeve var. laeve.[3]
A hybrid of S. cordifolium and S. shortii may occur, and this has been named Symphyotrichum × finkii. Hybrids with S. drummondii and S. urophyllum have been reported but not confirmed.[3]
It grows primarily in mesic sites with soils that are rocky to loamy but generally rich, at heights ranging from sea level along the coastal plain up to 1,200m (3,900ft) in the Appalachian Mountains. It can be found on open wooded slopes, along the banks of streams, on moist ledges, in swampy woods, along the borders of beech–maple forests and oak–hickory forests, as well as in clearings, thickets, and along roadsides and ditches. It also can be found in urban areas where it is sometimes considered a weed species.[3]
Ecology
Reproduction
Symphyotrichum cordifolium reproduces vegetatively via short rhizomes, as well as via wind-dispersed seeds. The ray florets of species in the Symphyotrichum genus are exclusively female, each having a pistil but no stamen, while disk florets are bisexual, each with both male and female reproductive parts.[7]
The Ojibwe have used S. cordifolium to make an incense to attract deer.[13]
Gardening
Symphyotrichum cordifolium is cultivated as a garden plant under its current name and the older name Aster cordifolius. Several cultivars have been selected for garden use, and the following have achieved the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:[14]
'Chieftain' has "light mauve-blue ray florets."[15]
'Little Carlow' (S. cordifolium hybrid) with "abundant violet-blue" rays.[16]
‘Photograph’ (S. cordifolium hybrid) has "pale lilac-blue flowers."[17]
'Sweet Lavender' with "lavender-blue flowers."[18]
Freyman, W.A. (2021). "Universal FQA". universalfqa.org. Chicago: Openlands. Retrieved 24 July 2021. Choose 'FQA Databases', then 'Compare Species Coefficients', then enter search term 'Symphyotrichum cordifolium'.
Smith, H.H. (1932). "Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians". Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee. 4: 428. Retrieved 17 July 2021– via abstract at Native American Ethnobotany DB (naeb.brit.org).
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