This aster is a native perennial. The smooth stems can be up to 6 feet tall, but most of our plants are much shorter due to browsing by deer. The lower leaves are up to 4 inhes long, toothed and heart or oval-shaped (A). The upper leaves are usually smaller. The flowers are in elongated clusters at the top of the plant. The 10-20 lavender or whitish ray florets surround a yellowish central disk (B). Identify this aster by large, heart-shaped leaves, lavender ray florets and its occurrence in upland forests. For other comments on the difficulty of identifying asters, see description for Panicled Aster (Aster simplex).