Bigleaf Aster, Eurybia macrophylla (L.), Aster macrophyllus, Native Minnesota Wildflower plant, Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden, Big-leaf Aster

(Bigleaf Aster). Identified by its many large broadly oval coarse basal leaves on long stalks with heart shaped bases. The upper leaves will be smaller and stalkless. The stem from 1 to 4 feet high with a small branched cluster of 1 to 1 1/2" flowers that can be white to bluish purple. Flower rays number from 9 to 20. It is the earliest blooming aster in the Upland Garden. Aster is from the Greek for "a star" referring the appearance of the flower head on all Asters. The species name macrophyllus is the combination of macros for large and phyllos for leaf giving us the common name of "large-leaved." The genus Eurybia now includes plants that were previously in the genus Aster. The word comes from two Greek words, eurys, for "wide" and baios for "few", both together thought to be referring to the small number of flower rays, that are also somewhat wide.

	Plants of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
	Common Name	Scientific Name	Plant Family	Garden Location	Prime Season
	Large-leaved Aster	Eurybia macrophylla (L.) Cass. [Old name = Aster macrophyllus]	Aster	Upland	Late Summer to Autumn
Other names and notes	(Bigleaf Aster). Identified by its many large broadly oval coarse basal leaves on long stalks with heart shaped bases. The upper leaves will be smaller and stalkless. The stem from 1 to 4 feet high with a small branched cluster of 1 to 1 1/2" flowers that can be white to bluish purple. Flower rays number from 9 to 20. It is the earliest blooming aster in the Upland Garden. Aster is from the Greek for "a star" referring the appearance of the flower head on all Asters. The species name macrophyllus is the combination of macros for large and phyllos for leaf giving us the common name of "large-leaved." The genus Eurybia now includes plants that were previously in the genus Aster. The word comes from two Greek words, eurys, for "wide" and baios for "few", both together thought to be referring to the small number of flower rays, that are also somewhat wide.