Calico Aster
Symphyotrichum lateriflorum
Calico Aster is a powerhouse perennial often forgotten by gardeners. The small, purple-tinged flowers may not dazzle individually, but step back and suddenly the hundreds of tiny blooms clustered tightly along the stems have true flower power. The bushy habit of this aster adds bulk to a perennial border or woodland edge. But the true sensory highlight of this plant might not even be how it looks, but how it sounds. On a sunny September afternoon, a single Calico Aster can literally buzz with the activity of hundreds of bees, hover flies, flower beetles, skippers, and butterflies, all vying for a taste of the nutrient-rich pollen and a sip of the sweet nectar.
Conditions: Full sun to part shade; moist to average soil
Size: 2′ – 3′ tall, 2′ – 3′ spread
Zone: 4 – 8
Wildlife Value: Flowers attract many butterflies, hover flies, pollinating wasps, and native bee species, including several pollen specialists; larval host for over 100 butterflies and moth species
