Dieteria canescens var. shastensis
Shasta aster
(c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Dieteria canescens var. shastensis (Shasta aster) is a native California perennial in the Asteraceae family, recognized by absence of fertile ray flowers.
Shasta aster is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, northern Sierra Nevada, central Sierra Nevada, Modoc Plateau, and White and Inyo Mountains in montane areas at elevations of 1,500 to 3,400 meters. Flowering from July to September, this plant produces white or pale lavender ray-less disk flowers in compact heads 6 to 12 millimeters long. Growing with spreading to erect stems 10 to 50 centimeters tall, it forms loosely branched clusters with ascending side branches. Its leaves are distributed along the stems, typically narrow and grayish-green, giving the plant a soft, canescent appearance. The plant produces multiple flower heads with involucres 6 to 9 millimeters long, arranged in loose clusters characteristic of mountain habitats.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species; key feature is absence of fertile ray flowers
Habitat and range
Habitat: Montane areas
Elevation: 1500-3400 m
California counties: Mono, Modoc, Alpine, Glenn, Placer, Sierra, Tehama, Trinity, Tuolumne, El Dorado, Lassen, Nevada, Plumas, Shasta, Siskiyou, Mendocino, Colusa, Lake, Ventura, Inyo
Outside California: southern Oregon, western Nevada
Bloom period
Dieteria canescens var. shastensis blooms Jul-Sep.
How to tell it apart
vs Corethrogyne: Dieteria has small heads under 3cm; Corethrogyne typically larger heads.; vs Symphyotrichum: Dieteria has shorter rays (6-20mm); Symphyotrichum typically longer rays.; vs Erigeron: Dieteria heads under 3cm with 6-20mm rays; Erigeron often smaller with narrower, more numerous rays.; vs Machaeranthera: Dieteria has simple entire to toothed leaves; Machaeranthera has fern-like dissected leaves.; vs Xylorhiza: Dieteria has small heads under 3cm; Xylorhiza has large showy heads over 3cm.
Frequently asked questions
Is Dieteria canescens var. shastensis native to California?
Yes. Dieteria canescens var. shastensis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Dieteria canescens var. shastensis bloom?
Dieteria canescens var. shastensis blooms Jul-Sep.
Where in California does Dieteria canescens var. shastensis grow?
Dieteria canescens var. shastensis occurs in Mono, Modoc, Alpine, Glenn, Placer, Sierra, Tehama, Trinity and other counties, at elevations of 1500-3400 m.
What plant family does Dieteria canescens var. shastensis belong to?
Dieteria canescens var. shastensis is in the Asteraceae family, genus Dieteria.
What habitat does Dieteria canescens var. shastensis grow in?
Dieteria canescens var. shastensis grows in Montane areas.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.