Plant is about 4’ tall, many shoots out of the ground but had fallen over. Small bees were loving it. Found on the bank of a drainage ditch.
Hi Brian,
this is one of our many species of Aster. If the leaves have no hairs at all on the undersides then it is Aster vimineus = Symphyotrichum vimineus. If there are some small hairs on the undersides of the leaves, usually on the veins, then it is Aster lateriflorus = Symphyotrichum lateriflorus. The former is usually called simply Small White Aster. The latter is called Calico aster. Both are common in the Carolinas, the latter being the more common and widespread of the two.
Sincerely,
Dr. Steven Hill, Botanist, SCNPS