Aromatic Aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium)

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.