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Native Plant Society of Texas

Heath Aster

Symphyotrichum ericoides

Other common name(s):

White Prairie Aster

Family:

Asteraceae (Aster Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

This map uses data from the US EPA. EPA  servers have been offline frequently so maps may not display. We are working on a solution.

Central Great Plains, Chihuahuan Deserts, Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, High Plains, Southwestern Tablelands, Texas Blackland Prairies
Broken Red Plains, Limestone Plains, Red Prairie
Chihuahuan Basins and Playas, Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands, Chihuahuan Montane Woodlands, Low Mountains and Bajadas, Stockton Plateau
Carbonate Cross Timbers, Eastern Cross Timbers, Grand Prairie, Limestone Cut Plain, Western Cross Timbers
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, Northern Post Oak Savanna, Northern Prairie Outliers, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands, Edwards Plateau Woodland, Llano Uplift, Semiarid Edwards Plateau
Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies
Llano Estacado
Canadian/Cimarron Breaks, Caprock Canyons Badlands Breaks, Flat Tablelands and Valleys, Semiarid Canadian Breaks
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Herbaceous

Height

1
to
3
ft.

Spread

2
to
3
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Clay, Dry, Sand, Well Drained

Light Requirement

Sun, Part Shade

Water Requirement

Low, Medium

Native Habitat

Disturbed Areas, Grassland, Woodland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Blue, Pink, White, Yellow

Bloom Season

Fall

Seasonal Interest

Larval Host, Nectar, Pollen

Wildlife Benefit

Bees, Butterflies, Moths

Maintenance

Low maintenance. Drought tolerant once established. Insufficient sunlight can lead to poor growth and disease. Trim if it gets leggy. Works well in butterfly gardens, rock gardens, and cottage gardens. It’s also a good choice for erosion control in sloped areas. Spreads by rhizomes and will seed out readily. Native habitat: open rocky woods, prairies and along roads and railroads.

Description

Blooms July-November. Much-branched erect to reclining or arching plant. Leaves linear to narrowly lanceolate. Numerous white flower heads about 1/4″ wide on branchlets. The fruit is a cypsela: a dry, one-seeded fruit, usually topped by pappus. Larval host: Pearl Crescent Butterfly and Wavy-Lined Emerald Moth.

References

Learn about how to propagate Texas native plants.

Material Treatment Method Collection References
Seed No Treatment Start seeds indoors four weeks before the last spring frost date. Fill biodegradable seed-starter cells three-quarters full with a potting medium that contains fertilizer. Place two seeds in each cell. Cover the seeds with one-eighth of an inch of soil. Place in a sunny location. Keep the soil evenly moist. When the seedlings have two sets of true leaves, thin them to one per cell. After the danger of frost passes, acclimate the seedlings to the outdoors for a few hours each day, increasing the time spent outside over about four days. Choose a sunny location. Prepare the garden soil by working it to a depth of eight to 12 inches to aerate it and make it crumbly. Space at intervals of 12 to 18 inches to allow for ample airflow and inhibit fungal growth. Set the biodegradable cells in the soil so the top of each cell is at ground level. Tamp the soil around the cells to hold them firmly in place. Sowing indoors https://gardenerspath.com/plants/flowers/grow-heath-asters/#:~:text=By%20early%20summer%2C%20you%20can,the%20last%20spring%20frost%20date.
Seed No Treatment To direct sow seeds: Prepare the soil in a sunny prepared garden bed. Sow one to two seeds every 12 to 18 inches. Cover the seeds with one-eighth of an inch of soil. Maintain even moisture. When the second set of true leaves sprouts, thin to one seedling per interval Sowing outdoors https://gardenerspath.com/plants/flowers/grow-heath-asters/#:~:text=By%20early%20summer%2C%20you%20can,the%20last%20spring%20frost%20date.
Stem Cutting Place the stem in four inches of water. Change the water daily. When roots grow, transplant the rooted stem cutting into the garden per the instructions below. Another way to root a soft stem cutting is to dip the cut bare stem in rooting hormone powder and plant it in soil. Select a biodegradable six-inch seed starter pot. Fill it three-quarters full of potting soil that contains fertilizer. Bury the dipped stem two inches deep in the soil and tamp to secure it. Maintain even moisture. When you see new leaves, you’ll know the stem has rooted. Transplant it into prepared garden soil in a sunny location. You can settle the entire seed-starter pot into the soil with the top rim even with the soil surface. Tamp the soil firmly around it. In late spring to early summer, cut about six inches from the growing tip of a fresh, soft stem. Remove the leaves from the bottom four inches of the stem. https://gardenerspath.com/plants/flowers/grow-heath-asters/#:~:text=By%20early%20summer%2C%20you%20can,the%20last%20spring%20frost%20date.
Clump Division As plants mature, they form an expanding network of roots, increasing their presence in the landscape year by year. After three to five years, thinning helps to improve airflow, inhibit fungal disease, and invigorate blooming. To divide, dig as soon as you see new shoots in early spring. Place a long-handled shovel four to six inches out from the center of a clump of shoots. Work around the clump, digging and lifting, until you can unearth it. Lift the entire mound of roots and soil from the ground and lay it on its side. Use your shovel or a sharp garden knife to slice through the roots and soil, and separate the mound into two or more individual sections. Transplant the sections or divisions into prepared soil in sunny locations. Apply a slow-release, all-purpose granular fertilizer around – but not touching – the divisions. Water well and provide an inch of water per week, including rain. After three to five years, thinning helps to improve airflow, inhibit fungal disease, and invigorate blooming. https://gardenerspath.com/plants/flowers/grow-heath-asters/#:~:text=By%20early%20summer%2C%20you%20can,the%20last%20spring%20frost%20date.

About the Region

2026 Fall Symposium Logo

This low-elevations region of Texas extends inland from the barrier islands, about 60 or so miles, and stretches from Brownsville to Louisiana. In total, it covers about 9.5 million acres, with a high point of 150 feet in elevation. More than 1000 species of plants can be found in this region. On the southern end, species more common in Mexico (such as Sabal mexicana) and Central America occur.

The barrier islands provide us with dune systems, and clay flats to the inland side, which have species found in these areas alone. Many plants here, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae (beach morning glory), can be found throughout tropical regions of the globe. I’ve encountered the same species on the beaches of Guam.

Once inland, vast marshes and wet prairies occur. Occasionally, oak (Quercus fusiformis) groves can be found. Common grasses include species of Bothriochloa, Paspalum, and Sporobolus; eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides); and switchgrass (Panicum species). Many rivers and creeks cut through the Gulf Prairies, and along these riparian areas various species of trees, Sabal minor, and other plants adapted to clay soils can be found. Due to overgrazing, farming, and fire suppression, woody species such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and invasive species such as chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) have increased and displaced our native flora.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason