Field ManualAll plants

Calico aster
Symphyotrichum lateriflorum
Pet & Human Safety
People: No hazard foundPets: Not on the ASPCA lists as we read them
NC State's page for this plant has no toxicity information; ASPCA's page was not part of this check. Not listed means no verdict was found, not that it's safe. Keep pets from eating it and call a vet or the ASPCA Poison Control line if a pet seems unwell.
PlotAndPetal cannot tell you whether a plant you found can be eaten. Only someone who can see the plant can identify it.
Poison control
If someone has collapsed, cannot be woken, is having a seizure or has trouble breathing, call 911 now. For any other possible poisoning, call Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222.
Emergency number source: U.S. federal law (47 U.S.C. § 251(e)(3)), read 2026-10-07.
Naturalist Lore
Historical Background & Breeding Lore
The history of this plant and its name, and how it was bred, where we have them.
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- Hardiness zones
Not checked yet
- Light
Part sun to light shade (UT Tennessee Smart Yards); filtered light (Florida Museum).
- Water needs
moderate
- Mature size
2 to 4 feet tall (UT Tennessee Smart Yards); Florida Museum says to about 3 feet.
- Family
Asteraceae (Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida)
- Where it comes from
Eastern Canada to northern Florida (Florida Museum); Middle and East Tennessee, lightly in West Tennessee (Tennessee Smart Yards).
How to prepare the soil, when and what to feed, and how and when to prune where that applies.
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Botanical Anatomy & Characteristics
How the flowers and leaves are built and which pollinators visit, where we have them.
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Field Doctor
What can go wrong with this plant and what to do about it, where we have them.
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Vintage Plates
Old botanical drawings from public libraries are in the app, for plants where we have them.
Get the app: coming soonSources
- University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Tennessee Smart Yards: Symphyotrichum lateriflorum (Aster lateriflorus)
- Florida Museum of Natural History (University of Florida), #347 Calico Aster
- University of South Florida, Tennessee-Kentucky Plant Atlas: Symphyotrichum lateriflorum
- Toronto Master Gardeners, Gardening for Habitat - Native Plants of Interest (March 2023)