This daisy is displaying arching stems of delicate flower on the Herbaceous Beds.
A native of north eastern North America Symphyotrichum pilosum (syn. Aster pilosus var. pilosus) grows in prairies, meadows, woodlands, roadsides and waste ground. It reaches 1.2m in height and has a cluster of rounded basal leaves, and smaller alternate leaves along the length of the stem. The branched stems are hairy, hence the epithet pilosum, and the common name frost aster, as the hairy stems appear to be covered in frost. The flowers are up to 2cm in diameter, and are typically daisy-like in their appearance, having a central disc of 20-40 yellow disc florets, encircled by white ray florets. This species is valuable for providing late-season flower in full sun and shade, but also for bringing softness to mixed herbaceous plantings.