Flower profile

Heath aster

Symphyotrichum ericoides

Heath aster (Symphyotrichum ericoides) is a flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly September–October across the U.S.

Native to North Dakota

Heath aster is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.

42states where USDA records it

61ND sightings*

5,951U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: North Dakota

Quick look

Symphyotrichum ericoides, with common names white heath aster, frost aster, and heath aster, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae native to much of central and eastern North America. It has been introduced to parts of Europe and western Asia.
From Wikipedia's article Symphyotrichum ericoides, 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 42 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to North Dakota. ^NatureServe
iNaturalist has 61 research-grade sightings of it in North Dakota, ranking #100 among the 116 flowers on our North Dakota list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (416 records)

There are only a handful of North Dakota flowering records, so this chart uses records from across the U.S.

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
North Dakota: No list North Dakota has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's North Dakota ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in North Dakota.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: DE (SH), GA (S1), MS (S2), TN (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

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 heath aster in 42 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

North Dakota counties with USDA records: Adams, Barnes, Billings, Bottineau, Cavalier, Dickey, Divide, Dunn, Eddy, Emmons, Foster, Golden Valley, Grant, LaMoure, McHenry, Morton, Mountrail, Nelson, Pembina, Ransom, Renville, Richland, Sargent, Sioux, Slope, Stark, Towner, Walsh, Wells, Williams.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 933 counties across 39 states; the most are in Kansas (101), Texas (90), Illinois (88).

Other Symphyotrichum on Bloomipedia (3): New England aster, Southern annual saltmarsh aster, Late purple aster.

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 North Dakota flowers

Upright prairie coneflower

Ratibida columnifera

Native

🌼 Blooms in ND: June–August

Creeping thistle

Cirsium arvense

Introduced

🌼 Few flowering records in ND

Narrow-leaved purple coneflower

Echinacea angustifolia

Native

🌼 Blooms in ND: June–July

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile SYER.
iNaturalist, Symphyotrichum ericoides: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Symphyotrichum ericoides (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
North Dakota: North Dakota state noxious weeds (N.D. Admin. Code 7-06-01-02), as listed by the ND Department of Agriculture.
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Symphyotrichum ericoides (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: waldo_jeffers via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.