Great Northern Aster

The great northern aster is a pretty perennial wildflower with one to several erect stems from 30-100 cm high arising from creeping rhizomes. The herbage is glandular above on the leaves and stems and may have some hairs on the stems too. The lanceolate leaves are linear-lanceolate in shape with sessile bases which may be clasping and entire to slightly serrate margins. The leaves are thin in cross-section and range from 5-13 cm long and 1-4 cm wide. The lower leaves are often deciduous or withered by flowering time.

The one to many flower heads are arranged in a leafy short cyme. The heads are 2-3 cm wide with 20-45 purple to violet rays from 8-15 mm long surrounding a yellowish central disk. The involucre is glandular and measures from 7-11 mm high. The involucre consists of 2-3 rows of bracts with pointed tips. The bracts are often purplish in color and many may be somewhat leafy in appearance.

The great northern aster may be found in moist woodlands and mountain meadows, and is common along streams in such habitats.

Great northern aster is found from Alaska south to Washington and Oregon and eastward to Alberta, Montana, and Idaho. It is found further east in northern Minnesota and Ontario.

The photo above shows a close-up of the gland-covered, leafy involucral bracts of great northern aster as seen in meadows between Saddle Creek Campgound and Hat Point in the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area................July 11, 2007.

The photo above shows the inflorescence of great northern aster as taken at the same location as the coordinates at the top of the page.....................August 25, 2005. This species may also be easily seen at the same time along Road #23 at its junction with Road #8810. Note the purplish tinge to the involucral bracts.

The photo above shows the long, lanceolate leaf blade of great norther aster with its sessile base.................August 25, 2005.

A stem leaf of great northern aster. Note the serrated margins of the blade.