Symphyotrichum ericoides (Heath Aster)

Heath Aster (Symphyotrichum ericoides)

Height, Spread: 1-3 ft for both

Water/Soil: Moist-dry, well-drained, rocky or loamy soil

Light: Full sun

Bloom: Summer-fall, white daisy-like flowers

Native Range: North America except CA, NV

Qualities: Attractive to pollinators

Notes: Herbaceous perennial found in sunny fields and meadows in the wild. Attractive to pollinators and a larval host plant for the Pearl Crescent butterfly ( Phyciodes tharos). Deer and rabbits feed on the foliage, and wild turkeys eat the seeds. This plant is rhizomatous and self-seeds, so it may readily spread. Best used in mass plantings in a field or rock garden.