Flower profile

Flat-top white aster

Doellingeria umbellata

Flat-top white aster (Doellingeria umbellata) is a flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly August–September across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Flat-top white aster is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in August–September.

31states where USDA records it

2Bloomipedia state lists include it

11,728U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Maine, Vermont

Quick look

Doellingeria umbellata, known by the common names tall flat-topped white aster, parasol whitetop, or tall white-aster, is a North American plant species in the family Asteraceae. It is native to Canada, St. Pierre and Miquelon, and the eastern and north-central United States (from Nebraska and the Dakotas east to Maine and South to Mississippi, Georgia and the Florida Panhandle.
From Wikipedia's article Doellingeria umbellata, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Asteraceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 31 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Maine and Vermont. ^NatureServe
In Maine, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in August–September. ^iNaturalist
In Vermont, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in August–September. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,744 research-grade sightings of it in Maine, ranking #13 among the 160 flowers on our Maine list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,403 research-grade sightings of it in Vermont, ranking #59 among the 159 flowers on our Vermont list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (2,860 records)

Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Maine	Native	August–September	2,744
Vermont	Native	August–September	1,403

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Maine: Not listed Not on Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maine. ^{Maine rare plant list}
Vermont: Not listed Not on Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022). NatureServe: S5, secure in Vermont. ^{Vermont E&T list}
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records flat-top white aster in 31 states plus Washington, D.C.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

Maine counties with USDA records: Androscoggin, Aroostook, Cumberland, Franklin, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Sagadahoc, Somerset, Waldo, Washington, York.

Vermont counties with USDA records: Addison, Bennington, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Franklin, Lamoille, Orleans, Rutland, Washington, Windham, Windsor.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native; St. Pierre and Miquelon: Native.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 596 counties across 27 states; the most are in Minnesota (65), Pennsylvania (61), Wisconsin (60).

More from the Asteraceae family (212 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Common yarrow, Goldenrods, White snakeroot, Sunflowers, Chicory, Black-eyed Susan, Bull thistle, Common dandelion.

More Maine flowers

Common yarrow

Achillea millefolium

Native

🌼 Blooms in ME: June–August

Orange hawkweed

Pilosella aurantiaca

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in ME: June–September

Whorled wood aster

Oclemena acuminata

Native

🌼 Blooms in ME: August–September

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile DOUM2.
iNaturalist, Doellingeria umbellata: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Doellingeria umbellata (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Maine: Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories.
Maine: Maine Do Not Sell invasive plant list (01-001 C.M.R. ch. 273).
Vermont: Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022).
Vermont: Vermont Quarantine List, Regulated Introduced Plant Species Rule (eff. June 16, 2026).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Doellingeria umbellata (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Micki Colbeck via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.