Frost Aster vs Small White Aster
This guide is under construction and has not been published yet. It may have errors. When in doubt, double-check other sources for definitive ID.These species can be confused as their flowerheads have significant overlap of appearance and dimensions, and they can occur together in the same habitat. Excepting the rarer smooth varieties of S. pilosum, they are usually easily told apart by level of pubescence, and they also have numerous other differences. S. pilosum ranges slightly farther northwest and west, and prefers slightly sunnier, drier habitats. S. racemosum ranges slightly farther southwest and is slightly more tolerant of shade, and slightly more restricted to moist sites.
Frost Aster (Symphyotrichum pilosum) | Small White Aster (Symphyotrichum racemosum) |
A perennial, mostly of sunny bottomlands, native to Eastern North America. |
References & External Resources
These short lists show only links helpful for ID. For a complete list of references and resources also covering other aspects of ecology, visit the links section of the full article on each plant, which is the first entry here.
