Washington Native Plant Society: Starflower Image Herbarium

Home > Landscaping > Native Plants for Western Washington Gardens and Restoration Projects

Aster subspicatus

Douglas Aster

At a Glance: Rhizomatous perennial wildflower with much-branched stems and light purple aster-like flower heads.

Height: Grows up to 32 inches (80 cm).
Growth Form: Herb.
Stems: Stems are leafy with hairs on the upper portion and are most often unbranched.
Leaves: Leaves are alternate. Leaf shape differs depending on the location of the leaf on the plant; lower leaves are lance-shaped and usually stalked while middle leaves are lanced shaped to oblong, stalkless and usually toothed, hairless above and beneath. Size: 1-2 cm wide. Color: green.
Flowers: Ray flowers are blue to purple and disk flowers are yellow. Size: ray flowers are 1-2 cm long. A distinguishing characterisitic of Douglas aster is its thick overlapping bracts beneath each flower head. Also, outer margins of thegracts have a thin, transparent (waxy/papery) look.
Flowering Period: July, August, September, October.
Fruits: Seeds have several ribbed achenes that are often hairy. Pappus hairs are usually reddish or purplish brown at maturity.


Photo © 2004, Starflower Foundation

Sun/Shade Tolerance	Hydrology	Elevation Range
(data not available)	wet moist dry Wetland Indicator Status: FACW (facultative wetland)	low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation

Soil Preferences
sandy soils gravelly soils clay soils muddy soils peaty soils	well drained soils shallow soils deep soils acidic soils basic soils	humic soils nutrient rich soils nutrient poor soils mineral soils organic soils

Habitat Preferences
Aquatic and Wetland: Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs Shorelines and Riparian: Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas	Saltwater Areas: In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches Rocky or Gravelly Areas: Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas Sub-alpine and Alpine: Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks	Forests and Thickets: Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets Meadows and Fields: Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas Disturbed Areas: Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites

Wildlife Value
Berries Seeds Nectar for hummingbirds Nectar for butterflies Host for insect larvae Thickets and shelter Thorny or protective cover	Insects: The flowers attract painted lady, red admiral, spring azure, orange sulphur, and woodland skipper butterflies.

Ethnobotanical Uses and Other Facts

(data not available)

Suggested References

Cooke, S.S. A Field Guide to the Common Wetland Plants of Western Washington and Northwetern Oregon. Seattle Audubon Society and Washington Native Plant Society. Page 90.
Guard, B.J. 1995. Wetland Plants of Oregon & Washington. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 134.
Link, R. 1999. Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 278.
Lyons, C., W. Merilees. Trees and Shrubs to Know in Washington and British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 309.
Pojar, J., A. Mackinnon. 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 288.

The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.