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Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic
Aromatic Aster grows easily in moist woodlands to sandy prairies. It may vary in appearance in different habitats* from New York west to Montana and south to North Carolina and New Mexico. Dense mounds of showy flowers, among the last to bloom before hard frost, attract myriad pollinators. Top-rated cultivars include ‘October Skies’ and ‘Raydon’s Favorite.’
*In the Mid-Atlantic region, it is native to DC and some of the central and southwestern counties of PA. In VA, it is infrequent to locally common in the mountains and rare in the Piedmont. In NoVA, it is not reported in Prince William County.
The leaves of this plant share a behavior with human hands. What is it?
Learn more about Symphyotrichum oblongifolium and about clasping.