"Eurybia divaricata" is a late summer to fall-flowering herbaceous perennial, typically growing to heights between 30 and 90 cm, though some specimens may be up to tall. The plant emerges each year from rhizomes and forms dense colonies of clones that lack sterile rosettes. The rhizomes are branched, elongated and become woody with age. One simple erect stem is present per plant. It is flexible and nearly hairless to finely hairy near the base, though densely covered with fine hair towards the extremities. It is very similar to and often confused with "E. chlorolepis", "E. schreberi" and "Symphyotrichum cordifolium", though "E. schreberi" differs in having wider leaves with more teeth, while "E. chlorolepis" has more rays, longer involucres, and only occurs in the southern U.S. from Virginia to Georgia.