Heartleaf Aster
Symphyotrichum cordifolium
Found in rich forests, shaded roadbanks. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you
90
Keystone
Native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?
Profile 100%
- Height
- 1–4 feet
- Spread
- 1.5–2 feet
- Light
- Dappled sunlight, Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil moisture
- Somewhat dry to moist
Space about 2 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 25 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count
Will it fit your yard?
At a glance
- Life cycle
- Perennial
- Bloom
- Summer and fall
- Fruiting season
- Fall
Not yet recorded · Leaves
Recorded in 39 Alabama counties.
Natural habitats
Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.
1 of 2
Forests on moist but not wet ground, such as rich slopes and ravines.
Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground
Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.
Also found with this plant
Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Alabama. Shared habitat, not food. 124 animals.
- Wood ThrushHylocichla mustelina
- Yellow-bellied SapsuckerSphyrapicus varius
- Yellow-billed CuckooCoccyzus americanus
- Yellow-breasted ChatIcteria virens
- Yellow-rumped WarblerDendroica coronata
- Alder FlycatcherEmpidonax alnorum
- American Black DuckAnas rubripes
- American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos
- American KestrelFalco sparverius
- American RedstartSetophaga ruticilla
- American WoodcockScolopax minor
- Baltimore OrioleIcterus galbula
- Barred OwlStrix varia
- Black VultureCoragyps atratus
- Black-billed CuckooCoccyzus erythropthalmus
- Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticorax
- Black-throated Green WarblerDendroica virens
- Blackburnian WarblerDendroica fusca
- Blue-winged WarblerVermivora pinus
- Broad-winged HawkButeo platypterus
- Brown ThrasherToxostoma rufum
- Canada GooseBranta canadensis
- CanvasbackAythya valisineria
- Carolina ChickadeePoecile carolinensis
Ecological relationships
Who uses this plant?
71CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL
Genus host records with ranges including AL · Symphyotrichum
- Phyciodes tharosPearl Crescent
- Abagrotis magnicupidaOne-Dotted Dart
- Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
- Agnorisma badinodisPale-Banded Dart
- Agrotis gladiariaSwordsman Dart, Clay-Backed Cut-Worm
- Allagrapha aereaUnspotted Looper Moth
- Anthanassa texanaTexan Crescent
- Biston betulariaSalt-and-Pepper Geometer, Cleft-Headed Looper
- Bucculatrix angustataNarrow Bucculatrix
- Cenopis reticulatanaReticulated Fruitworm Moth
Show all 71
- Chlorochlamys chloroleucariaBlackberry Looper Moth
- Chlosyne nycteisSilvery Checkerspot
- Chytonix palliatriculaCloaked Marvel
- Condica sutorThe Cobbler, Cobbler Groundling
- Condica vidensWhite-Dotted Groundling
- Ctenoplusia oxygrammaSharp-Stigma Looper Moth
- Cucullia asteroidesThe Asteroid, Asteroid Paint, Goldenrod Hooded Owlet
- Cucullia convexipennisBrown Hooded Owlet, Calico Paint
- Dichomeris flavocostellaCream-Edged Dichomeris
- Dichomeris juncidellaOrange-Dotted Dichomeris
- Dichomeris ochripalpellaShining Dichomeris Moth
- Dichomeris setosellaHairy Dichomeris
- Epiblema scudderianaScudder's Epiblema, Goldenrod Gall Moth
- Eucosma parmatanaAster Eucosma, Aster Flowerhead Caterpillar
- Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
- Euplexia benesimilisAmerican Angle Shades
- Eusarca confusariaConfused Eusarca
- Feltia herilisMaster's Dart
- Feltia jaculiferaDingy Cutworm
- Heliothis phloxiphagaSpotted Straw Sun Moth, Darker Spotted Straw Moth
- Herpetogramma pertextalisBold-Feathered Grass Moth
- Herpetogramma thestealisZigzag Herpetogramma, Subtle-Feathered Grass Moth
- Homoeosoma electellaSunflower Moth
- Junonia coeniaCommon Buckeye
- Lacinipolia meditataThe Thinker
- Lacinipolia renigeraBristly Ground Cat, Bristly Cutworm Moth, Kidney Spotted "Mamestra"
- Lascoria ambigualisAmbiguous Moth, Ambiguous Litter Moth
- Leuconycta diphteroidesGreen Leuconycta
- Lioptilodes albistriolatusMousy Plume Moth
- Mythimna unipunctaArmyworm Moth, White Speck
- Ochropleura implectaAmerican Flame-Shouldered Dart
- Orthodes majusculaRustic Quaker, Rustic Groundcat
- Palthis angulalisDark-Spotted Palthis
- Papaipema cataphractaBurdock Border, Potato-Stalk Borer
- Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
- Pero morrisonariaMorrison's Pero
- Phycitodes reliquellaWhite-Edged Phycitodes
- Platynota flavedanaBlack-Shaded Platynota
- Pleuroprucha insulsariaCommon Tan Wave
- Ponometia candefactaOlive-Shaded Bird-Dropping Moth
- Pyrrharctia isabellaIsabella Tiger Moth, Banded Woolybear
- Schinia arcigeraArcigera Flower Moth
- Schinia septentrionalisNorthern Flower Moth
- Scopula inductataSoft-Lined Wave
- Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
- Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
- Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
- Synchlora aerataWavy-Lined Emerald, Camouflaged Looper
- Synchlora frondariaSouthern Emerald
- Tornos scolopacinariaDimorphic Gray
- Trichoplusia niNi Moth, Cabbage Looper Moth
- Udea rubigalisCelery Leaftier
- Vanessa virginiensisAmerican Lady, American Painted Lady
- Acrocercops astericola
- Carmenta ithacae
- Dichomeris agonia
- Hellinsia glenni
- Landryia impositella
- Paralobesia vernoniana
- Pseudotelphusa carduiella
- Xenotemna pallorana
79BeesSoutheastern regional records
Southeastern regional records · Symphyotrichum
Individual names are not available yet.
Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
45Specialist beesPollen specialists
Pollen specialists · Symphyotrichum
- Andrena asteris
- Andrena asteroides
- Andrena braccata
- Andrena bullata
- Andrena canadensis
- Andrena chromotricha
- Andrena fulvipennis
- Andrena hirticincta
- Andrena nubecula
- Andrena placata
Show all 45
- Andrena simplex
- Anthophorula asteris
- Ashmeadiella bucconis
- Calliopsis coloradensis
- Colletes americanus
- Colletes compactus
- Colletes rufocinctus
- Colletes simulans
- Colletes speculiferus
- Dianthidium curvatum
- Dianthidium simile
- Dieunomia nevadensis
- Melissodes boltoniae
- Melissodes confusus
- Melissodes denticulatus
- Melissodes dentiventris
- Melissodes druriellus
- Melissodes fumosus
- Melissodes illatus
- Melissodes menuachus
- Melissodes niveus
- Melissodes subillatus
- Melissodes trinodis
- Melissodes vernoniae
- Melissodes wheeleri
- Paranthidium jugatorium
- Perdita bruneri
- Perdita ignota
- Perdita octomaculata
- Perdita xanthismae
- Protandrena aestivalis
- Protandrena andrenoides
- Protandrena citripes
- Protandrena compositarum
- Protandrena illinoiensis
3BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim
Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Aster
- Alectoris chukarChukar
- Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
- Centrocercus urophasianusGreater Sage-Grouse
Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening
No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects
Growing and identification
Plant details
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Hardiness
- Zones 3a–8b
- Flower color
- Blue
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Growth habit
- Spreads by rhizomes
- Foliage color
- Gray-green
- Fruit begins
- Fall
- Fruit ends
- Fall
Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.
Growing sources and scope
- Bloom · “Summer and fall” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition, USDA PLANTS differ)
- Flower color · “Blue” · Missouri Botanical Garden: Symphyotrichum cordifolium
- Foliage color · “Gray-green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Fruit begins · “Fall” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Fruit ends · “Fall” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Growth habit · “Spreads by rhizomes” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Growth rate · “Moderate” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Hardiness · “Zones 3a–8b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differs)
- Height · “1–4 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differ)
- Life cycle · “Perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Light · “Dappled sunlight (shade through upper canopy all day); Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differ)
- primary_flower_color · “blue” · Missouri Botanical Garden: Symphyotrichum cordifolium
- Soil · “Good drainage; Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; NC Extension Plant Toolbox, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differ)
- Spread · “1.5–2 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Also known as
Aster cordifolius; Common Blue Heart Leaf Aster; aster
Conservation status
| Alabama rank | SNR |
|---|---|
| Global rank | G5 |
| AL status | Not verified |
| Federal status | Not verified |
In your garden
Will it fit your yard?
Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.
Choose a county to begin.
Growing cautions
- Self-seeds. Readily self-seeds and can become weedy. NC State Extension Plant Toolbox
For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.
Sources
- Alabama Plant Atlas
- USDA PLANTS
- Vascular Plants of North Carolina (NC Natural Heritage Program)
- Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025)
- Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
- Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
- Narango, Tallamy & Shropshire 2020, Few keystone plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera species, Nature Communications