Plant Data

Names and Taxonomy

  • Common Names: Hoary Aster, Hoary Tansyaster
  • Synonyms: Dieteria canescens, Machaeranthera canescens
  • Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower)
  • Genus Information:

Habit and Size

  • Duration: annual
  • Habit: forb
  • Shape: spreading
  • Size: up to 3 ft
  • Stem: hairy

Leaves

  • Color:
  • Shape: linear
  • Edge: smooth
  • Arrangement: alternate
  • Leaf Retention:

Flowers and Fruit

  • Sex: monoecious
  • Flower Color: purple, yellow, white, blue
  • Flower Size:
  • Number of Petals:
  • Bloom: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov
  • Fruit: cypsela, achene around 3 millimeters in length tipped with a pappus of long hairs

Habitat and Growing Conditions

  • Water Use: low
  • Light: full sun
  • Soil: well drained
  • Habitat: Semi-arid grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, and pine forests and are common in gravelly or sandy soils along streams and in washes

Distribution

  • Distribution: AZ, CA, CO, IA, ID, KS, MN, MT, ND, NE , NM, NV, NY, OK, OR, SD, TX, UT, WA, WY
  • Seen: Mount Charleston, NV
  • Elevation: 1,000 to 11,000 feet (300-3,400 m)

Photographs

Hoary Aster (Dieteria canescens)

Mount Charleston, NV

Hoary Aster (Dieteria canescens)

Mount Charleston, NV