About Symphyotrichum depauperatum (Fernald) G.L.Nesom
Symphyotrichum depauperatum is a perennial herbaceous plant. It can grow up to 50 centimeters (1+3⁄4 feet) tall, and produces 1 to 3 stems. Its leaves are narrow, typically 2 to 4 centimeters (3⁄4–1+1⁄2 inches) long. The plant grows numerous flower heads arranged in branched clusters. Each flower head holds 7 to 14 white (or rarely pink) ray florets, which surround 7 to 17 yellow disk florets. This species is adapted to grow in serpentine barrens, an ecosystem where soil contains a high concentration of toxic metals. It has been recorded in Baltimore County and Cecil County, Maryland; Granville County, North Carolina; and Chester County, Delaware County, and Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Serpentine aster, the common name for this species, is considered a flagship species of the distinct serpentine barrens ecosystem. It was once thought to be endemic only to these barrens, but a separate disjoint population has been found growing on diabase glades in Granville County, North Carolina.
