Aromatic Aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium)
Spring Plant
This Species is typically available during our Spring Public Sale May-June at Geist Nursery in Fishers, IN.
Not Available to Preorder
This item is not available during our spring preorder period. If we are able to carry it this year, it will be during our Spring Public Sale mentioned above. The full list of Public Sale species will be made available in late April.
A lovely, short aster with delicate leaves that blooms densely in the fall! Has a sprawling/mounding habit what results in lovely small pillows of blooms where space allows. Prefers poor, dry soils but needs decent drainage, so clay soils should include sand or gravel to ensure drainage. Adapts to well drained mesic soil, but may be outcompeted by taller plants. Like all asters, it hosts a wide variety of caterpillars. Common name comes from the foliage, which is fragrant when crushed.
Light: Full Sun
Soil Moisture: Mesic, Dry Mesic, Dry
Soil Type: Rocky, Sandy
Height: 1’-2’
Bloom Color: Purple
Bloom Time: Aug-Sep
Root Type: Rhizome
Notable Wildlife Interactions: Flowers attract bees, smaller butterflies, and skippers. Hosts many caterpillars, including those of the silvery checkerspot butterfly and 40+ moth species. Gamebirds may feed sparingly on foliage and seeds. Sparsely browsed by mammals due to low nutritional value.
Notes: Last photo shows New England aster blooms vs aromatic aster blooms. New England asters are in hand and slightly larger, aromatics are just to the right, slightly smaller with darker centers.
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