Eastern Annual Saltmarsh Aster

Symphyotrichum subulatum

native · Central Texas

Eastern Annual Saltmarsh Aster is a wildflower native to Central Texas that grows 4 ft tall. It wants part shade to shade and medium water, and handles caliche and clay soil. Blooms blue in late summer. Good for butterflies.

Wet ground only. A wetland plant: it needs standing water or saturated soil — a pond edge, creek bank or rain garden, not a dry upland bed.

Will it grow in your yard?

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The facts

4 sources

Type: Wildflower
Sun: Part shade to shade (2–4 hrs of direct sun)
Water: Medium
Height: About 4 ft
Bloom: Late Summer · blue
Foliage: Deciduous or dies back in winter
Soil: Takes caliche and clay
Wildlife: Supports butterflies

Where it grows

18 occurrence records in Central Texas (GBIF).

Can you buy it?

Also grows here — hard to find. Native and recorded growing in Central Texas, but not on the grower stock lists we read. Sourcing varies: some are stocked widely, others you will have to hunt for.

also grows from seed It starts readily from seed, so a packet from a native-seed supplier, or seed collected with permission, is often the easiest way to get a plant no nursery pots.