Fall is Aster Time
Georgia aster - Symphyotrichum georgianum - with seeds of a blazing star Skyblue aster - S. oolentangiense Rice button aster - S. dumosus Wavyleaf aster - S. undulatum As fall hits full stride, the asters in my wildflower garden are in full bloom. Although a few of the really late ones - S. concolor , S. adnatum , and S. walteri , are just now forming buds, the others are providing color and a huge amount of pollinator value. I've been collecting aster species for a number of years for this purpose and it is gratifying to see their impact. Most are not widely propagated, for no good reason, but with my excursions afield and the goodwill of friends, I've got about half of our 28 native Symphyotrichum species in my landscape or in propagation to add next spring. Asters are the acme of pollinator plants. Each creates hundreds of heads composed of many dozens of individual blossoms. Pollinators of all types find them irresistible - partly because they can remain...