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Calico Aster

Symphyotrichum lateriflorum

Found in moist to dry upland forests and woodlands, swamps, wet pine flatwoods, clearings, old fields, roadsides, other disturbed areas. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

90
Keystone

Native to Florida. How scores work Is it native here?

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Height
2–4 feet
Spread
1–2 feet
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 1.5 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 44 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

Not yet recorded · Leaves

Recorded in 27 Florida counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 6

Forests and woodlands

Trail on Little Kennesaw Mountain.
Named place / source context. Shown: Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Georgia, a neighboring state.Trail on Little Kennesaw Mountain., Unidentified in HFC record, undated. Public domain. Source record.

Swamps

Loblolly bay in a coastal swamp
Regional / representative. Shown: Southern coastal swamps, Florida to Virginia; state not identified, a neighboring state.Loblolly bay in a coastal swamp, Marian Ellis Rowan, 1901. Public domain. Source record.

Forest edges and thickets

Wooded scene looking out over partially open fields
Named place / source context. Shown: Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, Georgia and Tennessee; which part is not recorded, a neighboring state.Wooded scene looking out over partially open fields, Richard Schlecht, undated. Public domain. Source record.

Dry forests and woodlands

Forests and open woodlands on dry ridges and slopes, often oak or pine.

Pine flatwoods

Flat, sandy Coastal Plain pine woodlands, wetter than sandhills and denser than savannas.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Florida. Shared habitat, not food. 117 animals.

All wildlife of Florida

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

65CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including FL

Genus host records with ranges including FL · Symphyotrichum

  • Phyciodes tharosPearl Crescent
  • Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
  • Agrotis gladiariaSwordsman Dart, Clay-Backed Cut-Worm
  • Allagrapha aereaUnspotted Looper Moth
  • Anthanassa texanaTexan Crescent
  • Bucculatrix angustataNarrow Bucculatrix
  • Cenopis reticulatanaReticulated Fruitworm Moth
  • Chlorochlamys chloroleucariaBlackberry Looper Moth
  • Chlosyne nycteisSilvery Checkerspot
  • Chytonix palliatriculaCloaked Marvel
Show all 65
  • Condica sutorThe Cobbler, Cobbler Groundling
  • Condica vidensWhite-Dotted Groundling
  • Ctenoplusia oxygrammaSharp-Stigma Looper Moth
  • Cucullia alfarataCamphorweed Cucullia, Halloween Paint, Camphorweed Cucullia
  • Cucullia asteroidesThe Asteroid, Asteroid Paint, Goldenrod Hooded Owlet
  • 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
  • Orthodes majusculaRustic Quaker, Rustic Groundcat
  • Palthis angulalisDark-Spotted Palthis
  • Papaipema cataphractaBurdock Border, Potato-Stalk Borer
  • 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
  • Sonia canadanaCanadian Sonia Moth
  • Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
  • Sutyna privataCheckered Sallow, Private Sallow
  • Synchlora frondariaSouthern Emerald
  • Tornos scolopacinariaDimorphic Gray
  • Trichoplusia niNi Moth, Cabbage Looper Moth
  • Trichordestra legitimaStriped Garden Caterpillar Moth
  • Udea rubigalisCelery Leaftier
  • Vanessa virginiensisAmerican Lady, American Painted Lady
  • Carmenta ithacae
  • Dichomeris agonia
  • Hellinsia glenni
  • Paralobesia vernoniana
  • Pseudotelphusa carduiella
  • Xenotemna pallorana
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
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
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
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
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

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 4a–8b
Soil pH
Neutral
Flower color
White

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Aster lateriflorus; Aster lateriflorus and Aster vimineus; Goblet Aster; aster

Conservation status

Florida rankSNR
Global rankG5
FL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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