Symphyotrichum ciliolatum

Lindley's Aster, Fringed Blue Aster, aster ciliolé

Symphyotrichum ciliolatum (Lindley) Á. Löve & D. Löve is native to open, often ± calcareous, boreal deciduous forests (aspen or aspen-birch-fir-spruce), edges of woods, clearings, aspen or bur oak thickets, sometimes open pine forests, streambanks, trails, roadsides across Canada and adjacent northern states in the US (Brouillet et al. 2006' FNA). Basal leaf bases are shallowly cordate to rounded; involucres are (4–)5–6.5 mm tall; ray florets are pale to deep blue or bluish purple. The species sometimes hybridizes with Sy. laeve in the central and western portion of the range and with Sy. novi-belgii in the east. The species is hexaploid 2n=48.

Symphyotrichum ciliolatum Nahanni Butte village

Symphyotrichum ciliolatum, tall shoot, Nahanni Butte village, Northwest Territory

Symphyotrichum ciliolatum dwarf Jasper NP

Symphyotrichum ciliolatum, dwarf shoot, Jasper N.P. , Alberta

Symphyotrichum ciliolatum transplant WAT

Symphyotrichum ciliolatum, very robust plant after transplanting to experimental garden Waterloo, ON

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 updated 2 May 2021 by J.C. Semple