Boltonia is a genus of herbaceous perennials in the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, sunflower and lettuce. The leaves are lance-like and the daisy-like flowerhead are small, carried in clusters, and composed of numerous white to pink or purple ray florets surrounding a yellow center of disc florets. Most are native to the US, are easy to grow, but are too big and lanky to include in a formal garden. At least one very fine cultivar of Boltonia asteroides , ‘Snowbank” is available and popular for formal gardens. The genus name, Boltonia, honors James Bolton (1735-1799), English botanist. Photo Credit: Wikipedia
The environmental conditions in New England have resulted in only one native species of Boltonia but it is native to other regions also. The Boltonia described here is native to five states In New England.
White Doll’s Daisy (Boltonia asteroides)
Stem are usually branched and carry linear gray-green leaves up to 5″ long. Flowerheads are borne in large, loose panicles. Each flowerhead is .75-1.25″ across and consist of 20-60 white to bluish ray florets, sometime pink tinged or violet, surrounding a center of yellow disc florets. White doll’s daisy is generally considered too large, floppy and weedy for inclusion in a formal garden but desirable in a wildflower garden for its abundant bloom late in the season.
Alternate Name/s: False chamomile, false aster
Native Range: Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. as well as on the Pacific Coast and in the Rocky Mountain area, Southwest, Midwest, Southeast, and Mid-Atlantic
Habitat: Floodplains, wet prairies, wet meadows, thickets, marshes, stream banks, shorelines and pond edges
Type: Perennial
Height: 16″ to 78″
Bloom Time: Late summer to frost
Bloom Color: White to pink tinged or violet
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Average, medium moist to dry, well-drained
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-10
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
The New England area includes Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. The area has four seasons and offers diverse geography with rivers, lakes, forests, mountains, and coast lines on both the Atlantic Ocean and Long Island Sound. The winters are long, cold, and heavy snow is common from December to February. Summer is short with temperatures between 80 and 85 F. Precipitation averages about 45″ as rain and 60-90″ as snow.