Symphyotrichum cordifolium (Blue Wood Aster)

Blue Wood Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium)

Height, Spread: 1-4 ft, 1.6-2 ft

Water/Soil: Moist-occasionally dry, well-drained 

Light: Part shade, full sun, full shade

Bloom: Late summer-fall, white, pale blue, pale lavender flowers 

Native Range: Eastern & Central USA & Canada

Qualities: Attractive to pollinators, Host plant, Wildlife resource, Moderately deer-resistant

Notes: Herbaceous perennial wildflower commonly found in woodlands, along streams or creeks, and meadows. It is attractive to pollinators and provides them with essential late-season nectar. It supports several specialized native bees including Colletes simulans and six species of Andrena. It is the host plant for the Pearl Crescent butterfly (Phyciodes tharos) and the Wavy-lined Emerald moth (Synchlora aerata). Small mammals and songbirds eat its seeds. Best used in a naturalized area such as a meadow, river bank, or woodland. Also great in butterfly or pollinator gardens. Cut back in the early fall if you want to avoid self-seeding.