Eurybia macrophylla (L.) Cass.
Bigleaf aster, largeleaf aster, bigleaf wood aster
Bigleaf aster is native to eastern North America.
Plants: These perennials begin as a basal rosette of leaves about 6–12″ (15–30 cm) in size. They reach heights of 3′ (91 cm) rarely, but are usually half that. They often form colonies of basal leaves with no flowers.
Leaves: Basal leaves are up to 8 ⨉ 6″ (20 ⨉ 15 cm), and cordate (heart-shaped), simple (unlobed), rough-textured, on petioles up to 6″ (15 cm) long. Upper leaves become progressively smaller and more ovate in shape. Stems are light green, sometimes tinged with red, with few if any branches and alternate leaves. Leaves are coarsely serrated or crenate, and leaf bases are winged, the wings becoming more prominant further up the stalk.
Flowers: Corymbs of flowerheads are about 3–8″ (7.6–20 cm) around. Each flower is a composite flower, with violet to pale blue ray flowers and a center comprised of yellow disc flowers that darken to reddish brown as they age. They are on short-haired pedicels up to 1½″ (3.8 cm) long. Clusters of up to 90 flowers are known, but 11 to 50 are more common. Flowers appear from July to October.
Fruits: Dry seeds—cypselae—have small tufts of pappi, yellow-brown to orange-brown, for wind distribution.
Habitats: Moist to dry soils in hemlock–northern hardwood, beech–maple, pine, or Appalachian spruce–fir forests. It occurs in thickets, clearings or along roadsides, in partial shade.
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Similar species. |
Online References:
7/26/2025 · River Point Conservation Area, Falmouth, Maine · ≈ 2 × 1′ (57 × 38 cm) 
6/26/2024 · Morse Mountain, Phippsburg, Maine 
7/26/2025 · River Point Conservation Area, Falmouth, Maine · ≈ 8 × 8″ (20 × 21 cm) 
6/21/2025 · Hawk Mountain, Waterford, Maine · ≈ 1½ × 1′ (48 × 38 cm) 
8/24/2023 · Morse Mountain, Phippsburg, Maine · ≈ 10 × 15″ (26 × 39 cm) 
8/24/2023 · Morse Mountain, Phippsburg, Maine · ≈ 1 × 1½′ (34 × 52 cm) 
8/6/2025 · Linekin Preserve and Burley Loop, Boothbay, Maine · ≈ 7 × 6″ (17 × 14 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Asteridae | A large class that encompasses asters |
| Order | Asterales | Flowering plants with a central disk flower and surrounding petals, like daisies |
| Family | Asteraceae | The aster family, which also includes daisies and sunflowers; from the Greek ἀστήρ, “star,” for the star-shaped flowers |
| Genus | Eurybia | From the Greek eurybies or eurybia, “far and wide, wide spreading” |
| Species | macrophylla | Large-leaved |
Eurybia macrophylla description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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