A lovely, short Aster with delicate leaves that prefers poor, dry soils! Adapts well 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.