Edible Aster (Aster scaber) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Edible aster is an East Asian perennial best known in Korea as chwinamul, a popular spring green. In late summer and fall it carries loose clusters of small white daisies with yellow centers. It grows wild in Korea, Japan, China, and the Russian Far East, but not in North America.

Appearance

Growth form: An upright perennial about 3–5 ft (1–1.5 m) tall.
Leaves: Heart-shaped with saw-toothed edges and short hairs on the surface.
Flowers: Small white flower heads with yellow centers in loose, flat-topped clusters. Each head has only a few white , so it looks a bit sparse.
Flowering time: August to October in its native range. Seeds ripen from September to November.

Look-alikes

Bigleaf asterEurybia macrophylla

Bigleaf aster's rays are usually lavender or violet, only sometimes white. It's a native wildflower of the eastern US, while edible aster doesn't grow wild in North America.

Why they get mixed upBoth have large heart-shaped lower leaves, and both have young leaves that are eaten as cooked greens.

White wood asterEurybia divaricata

White wood aster is a native wildflower of eastern woods and roadsides from Maine to Alabama. A white, heart-leaved aster growing wild in the eastern US is far more likely to be this one than edible aster.

Why they get mixed upBoth have a few (about 5–10) white rays around a yellow center and heart-shaped lower leaves, and both bloom from late summer into fall.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: woodland edges
thickets
hills and low mountains
Range: Native to East Asia: Korea, Japan, China, and the Russian Far East. It's farmed in Korea for its leaves.
Preferred conditions: Grows in woods, thickets, and forest clearings on hills and low mountains, in moist soil that drains well.

Name and classification

About the name: Also called Doellingeria scabra. Botanists differ on whether it belongs in Aster or in the genus Doellingeria.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed

Culture and stories

Culture and stories: In Korean cooking, the young leaves are blanched or stir-fried as namul, mixed into bibimbap, used to wrap rice and pork (chwissam), pounded into rice cakes (chwitteok), and made into a water kimchi.