Name: Symphyotrichum ericoides aka White Heath Aster

Type of Plant: A perennial wildflower that is native to North America. This plant can grow in all types of soil, reaching between a foot and three feet tall. Heath asters begin flowering in early fall.

Why I Love This Plant: I like the fine foliage on this aster, and the way that it will grow in spaces in between other perennial plants. I enjoy seeing it grow in cracks of rock walls as well as in gardens. And for those who want a lawn that can be occasionally mowed but still provides flowers for the bees, Symphyotrichum ericoides is the perfect plant since it will flower even when mowed once a month.

I love how drought tolerant the heath aster is, and how it attracts butterflies and bees.

A Word to the Wise:  Like any wildflower, this aster is likely to seed places where you don’t want it to grow. So just be willing to let it spread in appropriate places but edit out plants that sprout where you don’t want heath asters to grow.

White heath aster has seeded itself in several of my perennial gardens, and I’m happy to have it. In this garden it also grows in the stone wall.

If you want this aster to grow in a wall, find plants that have gone to seed or purchase seeds, then scatter them in between rocks and at the top of your wall. 

This is how Symphyotrichum ericoides looks in a field where it gets mowed to 4″ high once a month.

I even find Symphyotrichum ericoides growing in pure sand on my beach! Some of these plants have flowers with a pale lavender coloring.

You will find all sorts of bees working the flowers of Symphyotrichum ericoides in September.