Heath Aster

Symphyotrichum ericoides

From the Connecticut Botanical Society

Heath aster is a variable species. The flowers may be white or pale pink; they may be sparse or they may be packed together along the stems. There are several other asters with small white flowers and a bushy growth pattern; identifying the species can be difficult, even with a field guide in hand. A good marker for heath aster is the bracts beneath the flower heads. They have fairly blunt points, and they spread out from the base (see the third image). Other species of small-flowered white aster either have sharply pointed bracts, or bracts pressed against the base, or both.