Native Plant of the Month | Hairy aster (Symphyotrichum pilosum)

This native aster is just starting to bloom here now. Throughout eastern North America, it is commonly found in prairies, open woodlands, old fields and pastures, waste grounds and along railroads. Its flowers are often covered by dozens of bees of all sorts and it is also visited by many moths and butterflies.

Hairy stems and leaves give this aster its name. Growing 2-4 feet tall and wide, this herbaceous perennial is a clump former, though it can spread aggressively by self-seeding. It has a rosette of spatula-like basal leaves and simple, linear leaves along its stems. Clusters of white flowers with yellow centers appear at the tops of stems and last for weeks before becoming dry seeds with tufts of white hairs, ready to be dispersed by the wind. There is a hairless variety known as Pringle’s aster and a very similar species known as heath aster (S. ericoides).

Whether planted in small groups or en masse, hairy aster is a great plant for meadows, cottage gardens, woodland edges and parklands.

Another late-blooming perennial is the near-native blue mistflower or hardy ageratum (Conoclinium coelestinum). This member of the aster family is native to the central and southeastern United States and the west Indies. Usually found along streams and in low, moist areas, it is also at home in average soils with average moisture. Growing 1-3 feet tall, its flat-topped clusters of fuzzy blue flowers attract hordes of bees and butterflies and look good with other late-bloomers like the aster above. Blue mistflower spreads by underground rhizomes and by seeds and may need periodic division and control.