Big-headed Aster (Symphyotrichum grandiflorum)
Big-headed Aster is a perennial wildflower in the daisy family native only to North and South Carolina and Virginia where it grows in sandy soils, in dry woodland areas, along roadways and powerline rights -of-way, and disturbed sites.
Its striking 1- to 2-in.-wide purple flowers appear September to November as one of the last native asters to bloom, at a time when many perennials are fading. This late-season bloom makes it a positive addition to a wildlife-friendly garden because it is a lateseason nectar source for pollinators.
It prefers full sun to light shade and well-drained, moderately moist soils, though it tolerates the sandy or slightly clay-leaning conditions common in its native range.
It can grow up to 4-ft. tall with brittle, erect stems, but to produce a more compact and bushy plant, cut it back about halfway in late June or early July. This increased branching will lead to more dense fall flower production.
Big-headed Aster is the 2026 NC Wildflower of the Year, chosen for its beauty and ecological importance. The Wildflower of the Year program is managed by the North Carolina Botanical Garden with some financial support from the Garden Club of North Carolina, Inc. Each year since 1982, a showy native perennial has been chosen and seeds of that wildflower are distributed to interested gardeners
Ray and disc flowers (North Carolina, US)-Mid Fall
Douglas Goldman, USDA
CC BY-NC 4.0
Form in native habitat (North Carolina, US)
Douglas Goldman, USDA
CC BY-NC 4.0
By Kathryn Copley, Extension Master Gardenerā Volunteer, Brunswick County, NC
For more information on gardening in Brunswick County, please call the Brunswick County Cooperative Extension Office, 910.253.2610.
š Click here for a printable pdf version.
SOURCES:
Symphyotrichum grandiflorum | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Symphyotrichum grandiflorum, Large-flowered Aster | University of Waterloo
2026 NC Wildflower of the Year | North Carolina Botanical Garden