Symphyotrichum lateriflorum (Calico aster)

Calico aster, also known as white woodland aster, is a common sight along roadsides in Virginia. The snowy white blooms in the late summer and fall months. Calico aster lights up spaces with its profuse arching branches of blooms at a time when most summer flowering plants are turning their nectar and pollen off.

 

An extremely important food source for insects late in the season, and very long blooming, often right up to first frost or even after. The flowers are swarmed by bumblebees, moths, wasps, butterflies, and very small native bees and flies that would escape casual observation. The dainty flower centers turn from yellow to purple once the flower has been successfully pollinated.

 

Pinching back the stems early in the growing season encourages a denser, less weedy appearance with more flowers. This adaptable aster is easy to grow in almost all soil conditions. A beautiful addition to woodland edges and wild meadow gardens in full to partial shade for a burst of late season interest.

 

This species spreads underground up to 6-8 inches per year to form a large clump or colony. This aster will reseed themselves profusely, so this species is best used in wild plantings where there will be competition for open ground from other plants, such as goldenrods, common milkweed, perennial sunflowers such as giant sunflower or narrowleaf sunflower, rattlesnake master, and taller prairie grasses such as indiangrass, switchgrass, and big bluestem.