Herrickia glauca facts for kids

Herrickia glauca is a type of flowering plant found in North America. It's often called the gray aster because it belongs to the aster family. This plant grows mainly in the western parts of the United States. You can find it in states like Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming. A few of these plants also grow in Idaho and Montana.

Discovering the Gray Aster

The gray aster is a beautiful plant that adds color to the landscapes of the western United States. It's known for its many flowers that bloom in a special way.

What the Gray Aster Looks Like

The Herrickia glauca is a plant that grows back every year. It can be a small bush or a herb (a plant with soft stems). It can grow up to 70 centimeters (about 28 inches) tall. This plant grows from a strong, woody root that spreads underground, called a rhizome.

The gray aster produces many flower heads, sometimes more than 100! These flowers grow in a cluster that looks flat on top. Each flower head has 8 to 19 lavender-colored, petal-like flowers around the outside. In the center, there are 12 to 32 tiny yellow or purplish flowers.

Herrickia glauca (Nutt.) Brouillet as Aster Glaucus