eastern serpentine aster

Symphyotrichum depauperatum (Fernald) G.L.Nesom is a member of the Asteraceae family and is adapted to serpentine barrens, an environment with high concentrations of toxic metals in the soil. It is native to Maryland, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina, where it is found on diabase glades. The plant typically grows to a height of 50 centimeters and is characterized by white ray florets surrounding a central cluster of yellow disk florets. This species was formally described in 1995.