Flower profile

White wood aster

Eurybia divaricata

White wood aster (Eurybia divaricata) is a flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly August–October across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

White wood aster is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 4 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in August–October.

21states where USDA records it

4Bloomipedia state lists include it

11,493U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island

Quick look

Eurybia divaricata, the white wood aster, is an herbaceous plant native to eastern North America. It occurs in the eastern United States, primarily in the Appalachian Mountains, though it is also present in southeastern Canada, in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia. In the U.S. it is abundant and common, but in Canada it is considered threatened due to its restricted distribution.
From Wikipedia's article Eurybia divaricata, 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 21 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. ^NatureServe
In New York, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in August–October. ^iNaturalist
In Massachusetts, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in August–October. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,855 research-grade sightings of it in New York, ranking #80 among the 193 flowers on our New York list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,400 research-grade sightings of it in Massachusetts, ranking #106 among the 188 flowers on our Massachusetts list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 694 research-grade sightings of it in Connecticut, ranking #74 among the 179 flowers on our Connecticut list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,659 records)

Bloom time in the 4 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
New York	Native	August–October	2,855
Massachusetts	Native	August–October	1,400
Connecticut	Native	August–October	694
Rhode Island	Native	few records (14)	183

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

State rare plant lists

Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 4 of our 4 states.

See each state

New York: Not listed Not on New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3). NatureServe: S5, secure in New York. ^{6 NYCRR § 193.3}
Massachusetts: Not listed Not on Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Massachusetts. ^{MESA list}
Connecticut: Not listed Not on Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Connecticut. ^{CT E/T/SC list}
Rhode Island: Not listed Not on Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Rhode Island. ^{RI rare plants 2016}

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 white wood aster in 21 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, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia; District of Columbia.

New York counties with USDA records: Albany, Allegany, Bronx, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chemung, Chenango, Columbia, Delaware, Dutchess, Erie, Fulton, Genesee, Greene, Kings, Madison, Nassau, New York, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orange, Otsego, Putnam, Queens, Rensselaer, Richmond, Rockland, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Schuyler, Suffolk, Ulster, Warren, Washington, Westchester, Wyoming, Yates.

Massachusetts counties with USDA records: Barnstable, Berkshire, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, Worcester.

Names, range and relatives

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

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Aster boykinii, Aster carmesinus, Aster castaneus, Aster claytonii, Aster divaricatus, Aster excavatus, Aster flexilis, Aster stilettiformis, Aster tenebrosus.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 406 counties across 14 states; the most are in Virginia (75), Pennsylvania (66), North Carolina (48).

Other Eurybia on Bloomipedia (2): Large-leaved aster, Siberian 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 New York flowers

White snakeroot

Ageratina altissima

Native

🌼 Blooms in NY: August–October

Chicory

Cichorium intybus

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in NY: June–October

Bull thistle

Cirsium vulgare

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in NY: July–September

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile EUDI16.
iNaturalist, Eurybia divaricata: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Eurybia divaricata (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
New York: New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3).
New York: New York prohibited and regulated invasive species (6 NYCRR Part 575).
Massachusetts: Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90).
Massachusetts: Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List (MDAR) (Text from MDAR's 2023 scientific-name PDF (mass.gov blocks automated downloads); 2024-2026 additions listed on the mass.gov page: Alnus glutinosa, Pyrus calleryana, Miscanthus sinensis, Aralia elata, Rhodotypos scandens, Symplocos paniculata.).
Connecticut: Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list).
Connecticut: Connecticut prohibited invasive plants (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 22a-381d).
Rhode Island: Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Eurybia divaricata (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Lynn Harper via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.