Symphyotrichum firmum

Symphyotrichum firmum stem and leaf node. Short internodes and a purple streak above each node are typical of this species. The leaves are narrow, their margins entire (rarely with some marginal teeth) and revolute. The plants grow from long creeping rhizomes and form large patches. The related Symphyotrichum puniceum is bristly pubescent along the stem (which is frequently reddish), the leaf margins are prominently toothed, and it does not form colonies from rhizomes but instead occurs as scattered plants. Also, Symphyotrichum puniceum grows in wetter habitats than Symphyotrichum firmum which grows along the edges of wetlands and drier soils. This plant was growing along a wetland edge under a light canopy of coniferous and deciduous trees.