Chrysopsis mariana (L.) Elliott

Maryland Golden Aster

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Maryland Golden Aster is a native herbaceous biennial or short lived perennial in the Sunflower family (Asteraceae). It occurs throughout Alabama. Maryland Golden Aster occurs in mesic or dry pine woods, mixed pine-hardwood forests, in rocky woods, on roadside banks, and in old fields. It is a fibrous rooted biennial, forming a rosette during its first year of growth. Basal leaves are spatulate to lanceolate in outline, pubescent, with entire or obscurely toothed margins. Basal rosettes may be present or absent at flowering. Flowering stems are 1-3 feet in height, shaggy pubescent to nearly glabrous, and usually unbranched below the flowers. The stem leaves are sessile, lanceolate in outline, quickly reduced in size upwards, often appressed, pubescent, with entire or obscurely toothed margins. Flowers are produced in heads in terminal umbel-like arrays. There are 1-50 heads per stem. The peduncles and phyllaries are densely glandular with stalked glands. Each head has 10-22 yellow ray flowers and 25-40 yellow disc flowers. The fruit is an achene. Maryland Golden Aster is sometimes available from native plant nurseries. It prefers a well-draining sandy or clay soil in full to partial sun. Plants are especially suited to planting on steep or rocky slopes.--A. Diamond

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Native G5 (Global Rank)

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