Eurybia schreberi - Schreber's aster

Aster schreberi, also known by its botanical name Eurybia schreberi, is a North American wild species visually close to Aster divaricatus. It blooms in the shade and forms a wild-looking, fairly loose clump with large basal leaves with serrated edges, covered in late summer with numerous clusters of small, white, very bright starry daisy flowers with dark yellow centres. It prefers rich and fresh soils but can tolerate drier soil. Use it to add a natural and elegant touch and bring light to shaded areas and understoreys.

Aster schreberi or Eurybia schreberi belongs to the aster family. It is native to the eastern United States and Canada, where it is only present in Ontario. In the United States, it is found in all states east of Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee, with the exception of North Carolina and its south. It is classified as endangered in Indiana and Iowa, of concern in Tennessee, and possibly extinct in Maine. It has also been introduced to Europe, notably in Scotland. It is more common at altitudes below 1200 metres in mixed moist to medium-moist hardwood forests, most often with maples, elms, or oaks, as well as in thickets and shaded roadside edges. This perennial grows from a non-invasive clump-forming crown with short rhizomes. Its above-ground vegetation is deciduous, emerging from the ground in spring, quite late, around April-May, and drying up in autumn. This fast-growing plant forms a flexible, spreading, open clump, reaching approximately 70 cm, with a minimum width of 50 cm in rich, deep, and moist soils. Flowering generally occurs from August to September. The inflorescence is a small head with peripheral, ligulate white flowers. The central flowers (the heart) are yellow. Together, they form light clusters, composed of countless tiny stars with very fine 'branches'. This aster develops strong, well-branched, smooth, dark stems. The plant self-seeds spontaneously in the garden, sometimes abundantly if conditions suit it.

Undemanding Schreber's Aster pairs very well with other robust shade-loving perennials such as Ligularia dentata, or trachystemon orientale, or even with another woodland-loving aster, Aster cordifolius with a cultivar like 'Ideal' with lavender-blue flowers. With its knotty branches and spreading habit, it forms an excellent ground cover. Planted in groups of several plants, it looks stunning in front of large tree or shrub borders. This plant is also an excellent cut flower.