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Native Plant Society of Texas

Late Purple Aster

Symphyotrichum patens

Other common name(s):

Spreading Aster, Late Blooming Aster, Late Purple American-Aster, Clasping 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.

Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Broken Red Plains
Carbonate Cross Timbers, Eastern Cross Timbers, Grand Prairie, Western Cross Timbers
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, Northern Post Oak Savanna, Northern Prairie Outliers, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces, Red River Bottomlands, Southern Tertiary Uplands, Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Herbaceous

Height

2
to
4
ft.

Spread

2
to
3
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Clay, Dry, Loam, Moist, Saline, Sand, Well Drained

Light Requirement

Sun, Part Shade

Water Requirement

Low, Medium

Native Habitat

Grassland, Shrubland, Woodland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Purple

Bloom Season

Summer, Fall

Seasonal Interest

Nectar, Pollen

Wildlife Benefit

Bees, Butterflies

Maintenance

Easy to grow. Good in rock gardens. No serious insect problems, but good air circulation helps reduce incidence of foliar diseases. Prefers the eastern half of Texas. Similar to S. oblongifolium that grows more in the western half of Texas. Native habitat: meadows and fields, rocky or sandy open woods, thickets and glade margins.

Description

Blooms August-December. An upright plant that typically grows on slender, hairy stems. Oval to oblong leaves are rough-textured, hairy, and clasp the stems. Flowers are 1 inch daisy-like asters, with blue to violet rays and yellow centers. Flowers appear singly at the end of stems. The fruit is a cypsela: a dry, one-seeded fruit, usually topped by pappus.

References

1) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SYPA11; 2) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt; 3) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=4497&locationType=County&mapType=Normal; 4) https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=k890; 5) http://www.texaswildbuds.com/symphyotrichum-patens.html, 6) https://mowildflowers.net/symphyotrichum-patens-late-purple-aster-1/#:~:text=Late%20purple%20aster%20or%20purple,a%20chance%20to%20get%20established.&text=Seed:%20Sow%20seed%20outdoors%20November,beneficial%20but%20not%20entirely%20necessary. 7) https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/symphyotrichum/patens/ 8) https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=292655&isprofile=0&gen=Symphyotrichum

Learn about how to propagate Texas native plants.

Material Treatment Method Collection References
Stem Cutting Remove the leaves from the lower half of the cutting to prevent rot and dip the cut end into rooting hormone to enhance root growth. Insert into a pot filled with moist, well-draining potting mix. Make sure at least two leaf nodes are buried in the soil. Cover the pot with plastic to retain humidity and place it in indirect light. Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. The best time to propagate late purple aster is during early spring through mid-summer, using stem cuttings. Choose a healthy, non-flowering stem from late purple aster that is about 4-6 inches long. Make sure the stem has several sets of leaves. Cut the stem Using your prepared tools, cut the selected stem at a 45-degree angle just below a leaf node. https://www.picturethisai.com/care/propagate/Symphyotrichum_patens.html#
Bud Division Replant these divisions at the same depth they were originally growing to foster healthy new growth. Carefully separate the root clumps in the dormant period, ensuring each new section has ample roots. https://www.picturethisai.com/care/propagate/Symphyotrichum_patens.html#
Seed No Treatment To sprout seeds indoors, begin four weeks before your region’s last average spring frost date. Keep the soil moist but not soggy. Provide ample sunlight. Once the frost danger passes, set the seedlings outdoors in a sheltered area for a few hours each day for about four days, increasing the amount of time spent out each day. To direct sow seeds, wait until the danger of frost passes and prepare the soil the garden soil by working it to a depth of 8 to 12 inches until it is crumbly. Sow one to two seeds every 8 to 36 inches. When the seedlings have two sets of true leaves, thin them to one seedling per interval. Knowing when to harvest is easy. You’ll see them starting to dry out as the first frost date approaches. The first method is to cut entire stalks bearing clusters of blossoms. The fresh ones continue to dry on the harvested stalks. The second is to collect individual flower heads by holding a paper grocery bag beneath a plant with one hand, and snipping off individual dry flower heads with the other. Or rub the dry heads between thumb and fingers until they loosen and fall in. For harvested stalks, simply bind them together with twine, like bouquets, and suspend them upside-down. For snipped flower heads and crumbled heads, lay out newspaper and spread the contents of your bag(s) over it in a single layer. Allow to dry for about a week. Then Rub the seed heads between your thumbs and fingers, removing as much debris as possible as you go along. Gently blow across the paper to remove remaining fluff. Store in airtight containers in a cool, dry location until ready to use. https://gardenerspath.com/plants/flowers/save-aster-seeds/

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