Beach-sand aster is a small wild aster of sandy seashores in East Asia, with stems that creep across the sand and pale purple, daisy-like flowers from summer into fall. It grows in Japan, Korea and southeastern China, and isn't found growing wild in the United States.
Appearance
- Growth form
- A biennial whose stems sprawl outward from the base before the tips turn upward to about 12 in (30 cm).
- Leaves
- Thick, spoon-shaped leaves with rounded tips and hairy edges.
- Flowers
- Single flower heads about 1.4 in (3.5 cm) across at the branch tips, with pale purple rays around a yellow center.
- Flowering time
- July to October in Japan.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- sandy beaches
- seashores
- Range
- Sandy coasts of Japan (from Toyama Prefecture west through Kyushu), Korea and southeastern China, near sea level. It doesn't occur in the wild in the United States.
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