Virginia ecotype
- Duration: Perennial
- Habit: Upright, clump-forming, spreads by short rhizomes
- Size: 3 to 6 feet tall; 1.5 to 3 feet wide
- Flowering Time: August to October
- Bloom Color: White with yellow centers
- Habitat: Moist meadows, wet prairies, forest edges, and streambanks
- Moisture: Average to moist; prefers well-drained but damp soils
- Light: Full sun to part sun; needs more moisture in higher sun
- Soils: Sandy, loamy or clay soils, tolerates a range if moisture is adequate
- Uses: Pollinator gardens, wet meadow restoration, rain gardens needing tall accent, background of native plantings, woodland edges
Doellingeria umbellata (Parasol whitetop aster)
Parasol whitetop or Tall flat-top aster, is a tall perennial with dense, flat-topped clusters of small white flowers with light yellow centers. The flower heads are arranged in broad, slightly domed arrays that resemble a parasol, hence the common name. The plant has narrow, lance-shaped leaves and stiff, upright stems that seem to rarely flop, even when fully grown. It is lightly rhizomatous and will form a large clump in several years.
This species contributes to the structure and diversity of wetland and open meadow habitats where it occurs. It is adaptable to average moisture in part sun, occurring in the dappled light of forests and forest edges. It's tolerant of seasonal wetness and makes a good fit for naturalized areas with adequate moisture, around streams and pond edges, and in rain gardens where a vertical accent is desired.
We think this species would pair well with other tall accent plants for moist to wet areas: Solidago rugosa (Wrinkle-leaf goldenrod), Vernonia noveboracensis (Ironweed), Eupatorium spp. (Joe Pye weeds), and grasses such as Panicum virgatum (Switchgrass).
Synonymous with Doellingeria umbellata var. umbellata