← Back to Plant Finder

Flat Topped Aster
Doellingeria umbellata

Flat-topped Aster is a perennial that blooms in July (earlier than most Asters). It spreads both by seed and underground rhizomes. Thriving in moist, sunny prairies, its nectar and pollen attracts a wide variety of pollinators.

USDA symbol: DOUM2

General Information

Plant TypeForb
Height4 feet
Light ExposureSun, Part Sun
Soil MoistureMedium
Bloom ColorWhite
Flat Topped Aster (Flat Topped Aster<div><em class="small">Doellingeria umbellata</em></div>)
Photo credit: Minnesota Native Landscapes (Click to enlarge)

Tolerances

Flooding / Inundation ToleranceModerate
General Resilience8
Salt ToleranceMedium
Stress ToleranceDrought Tolerant, General Disturbance

Pollinator Value: Very High

Bloom MonthsAugust to September
Larval Host ofButterflies
Specific Pollinators HostedChlosyne harrisii
Pollinator BenefitInsect Pollinated, Provides Nectar, Supports Generalists

Project Planning

Project TypeRain Garden, Shoreline Buffer
Coefficient of Conservatism6
Herbivore SensitivityLow
LifespanPerennial
Rate of SpreadMedium
Soil StabilizationShallow
Vegetative ReproductionClonal

Range

CountyAitkin, Anoka, Becker, Beltrami, Benton, Big Stone, Blue Earth, Brown, Carlton, Carver, Cass, Chippewa, Chisago, Clay, Clearwater, Cook, Cottonwood, Crow Wing, Dakota, Dodge, Douglas, Fillmore, Goodhue, Grant, Hennepin, Houston, Hubbard, Isanti, Itasca, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Kittson, Koochiching, Lake, Lake of the Woods, Le Sueur, Mahnomen, Marshall, Martin, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Mower, Nicollet, Norman, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Pennington, Pine, Polk, Pope, Ramsey, Red Lake, Redwood, Rice, Roseau, Sherburne, St. Louis, Stearns, Steele, Swift, Todd, Traverse, Wabasha, Wadena, Washington, Wilkin, Wright
EcoregionDriftless Area, Lake Agassiz Plain, North Central Hardwood Forests, Northern Glaciated Plains, Northern Lakes and Forests, Northern Minnesota Wetlands, Western Cornbelt Plains
Approximate Eco ProvinceEastern Broadleaf Forest, Laurentian Mixed Forest, Prairie Parkland, Tallgrass Aspen Parklands