Symphyotrichum sericeum

Western Silvery Aster

Symphyotrichum sericeum (Ventenat) G.L. Nesom is native to open, dry, deep, sandy or loamy soils, broken limestone outcrops, open-wooded bluffs, open woods, open calcareous hammocks, prairies, fields, sand barrens, dunes, dry banks, rarely acidic shield rocks from southeastern Manitoba and adjacent Ontario to near southern Lake Michigan and south to Texas in the forest-prairie ecotone zone ().  The species is distinguished by its silvery-silky leaves and phyllaries, open arrays of heads, and cormoid rootstocks. The species is diploid on x=5 (2n=10).

The species is of conservation concern in Indiana, Michigan, and Canada.

Symphyotrichum sericeum range Semple draft

Brouillet, L., J.C. Semple, G.A. Allen,  K. Chambers and S. Sundberg. 2006. Symphyotrichum Nees. pp. 465-539. In Flora North America Editorial Committee, eds. Flora of North America. Vol. 20. Asteraceae, Part 2. Astereae and Senecioneae. Oxford University Press, New York.

Last revised 16 May 2025 by J.C. Semple

© 2025 J.C. Semple, including all photographs unless otherwise indicated

Symphyotrichum sericeum habitat 8787 ON JCS 1985
Symphyotrichum sericeum, Canadian shield habitat, 8787, Rainy River Dist., Ontario
Symphyotrichum sericeum, 5069, Wisconsin
Symphyotrichum sericeum, cormoid rootstock, 5069, Wisconsin
Symphyotrichum sericeum, head, 8795, Minnesota
Symphyotrichum sericeum, Fig 55, Semple et al 2002, Asters of Ontario

1-6. Symphyotrichum sericeum. 1. JCS at Semple & Heard 8787, Rainy River Dist., Ontario, 1985. 2. Canadian shield habitat, S & H 8787. 3-4. Habit and cormoid rootstocks, Semple & Chmielewski 5069, Jackson Co., Wisconsin. 5. Heads, Semple & Heard 8795, Crow Wing Co., Minnesota. 6. Line drawing illustration Semple et al. (2002).