Eurybia divaricata

Eurybia divaricata: A Starry White Cloud for Dry Shade

Dark, zigzagging stems that look like they had a few too many at the cottage, topped with clouds of tiny white daisies. This native aster lights up dry shade late in the season when everything else has clocked out. THE NIGHT SHIFT HAS ARRIVED.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Eurybia divaricata (formerly Aster divaricatus)
• Common Name: White Wood Aster
• Height: 30–75 cm (1–2.5 ft)
• Spread: 45–75 cm (1.5–2.5 ft)
• Flowers: Small white daisies, about 2 cm (3/4 in) across, with yellow centres that age to reddish purple, in loose, flat-topped clusters
• Bloom Time: Late summer to fall (August to October)
• Foliage: Heart-shaped, toothed green leaves on thin, dark, zigzagging stems
• Features: Tolerates dry shade once established

Where to Plant: Use it under trees, along a woodland path or on a shady slope. It spreads slowly by rhizomes and can fill a shady bed as a loose groundcover. Its sprawling stems also soften the edge of a path nicely.

Companion Plants: Ligularia 'Othello' adds bold leaves and orange flowers at 90 to 120 cm from July to September. Astilbe 'Little Vision in Pink' brings pink plumes at 35 to 40 cm in July and August. For early colour, Helleborus HGC® Ice N' Roses® Dark Picotee blooms from March to May. With the white asters closing out the year, this shade bed has something in flower in every season.

Plant Care: Plant in part shade to full shade in average, well-drained soil. It does best with some moisture but handles dry woodland soil once established, including under trees. Water through the first season. It doesn't need feeding. The stems can lean or flop, especially in rich soil. If you want a tidier look, cut the plant back by about a third in late spring. Cut stems to the ground in late fall or early spring. Divide in spring if it spreads further than you'd like.

History: White wood aster is native to eastern North America, from the Appalachians north into southern Ontario and Quebec, where it grows in open deciduous woods. It was long known as Aster divaricatus before botanists moved it to Eurybia, and divaricata means spreading or widely branching, a nod to its zigzag, open flower stems.

Final Thoughts: Plant it under trees where the grass refuses to grow. IT DOESN'T ASK FOR MUCH, JUST A LITTLE SHADE AND SOME RESPECT.