
Blue Wood Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium)
A graceful late-season bloomer with clouds of small pale blue flowers and distinctive heart-shaped leaves. This shade-tolerant native provides essential fall nectar in New England's woodlands when few other flowers remain.
Native range: Eastern North America including throughout New England
Size: 2-4 feet tall, 2 feet wide, space 18-24 inches apart
Growing conditions: Partial shade to full shade, moist well-drained soils
Bloom period: September through October
Wildlife value: Attracts late-season pollinators; larval host for Pearl Crescent butterfly; seeds eaten by songbirds
Garden benefits: Excellent cut flower, low maintenance, deer resistant, self-seeds readily, tolerates shade well
Blue Wood Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium)
A graceful late-season bloomer with clouds of small pale blue flowers and distinctive heart-shaped leaves. This shade-tolerant native provides essential fall nectar in New England's woodlands when few other flowers remain.
Native range: Eastern North America including throughout New England
Size: 2-4 feet tall, 2 feet wide, space 18-24 inches apart
Growing conditions: Partial shade to full shade, moist well-drained soils
Bloom period: September through October
Wildlife value: Attracts late-season pollinators; larval host for Pearl Crescent butterfly; seeds eaten by songbirds
Garden benefits: Excellent cut flower, low maintenance, deer resistant, self-seeds readily, tolerates shade well