Symphyotrichum ericoides
Heath Aster
- Full Sun
- Average to very dry soil
- Grows 12" to 30" tall and wide
- Fall Blooms
- Thrives in Dry Meadow Ecosystems, Beginner Friendly, loved by pollinators as a late season food source.
This is a species that I always think of as a companion of Grey Stem Goldenrod. Not because of their blooms, since these Asters flower quite a bit later most years, but because they are so closely matched in growing conditions. They would both be perfectly happy in a sunny, well drained garden but where they really stand out is on dry, shallow, low organic matter soil where the challenging conditions limit the growth of a lot of other species and these and Grey Stem Goldenrod bloom in such showy abundance that they are easy to spot, even when driving by at 400 series highway speeds. Their presence along roadways also tells me that they are fairly tolerant of road salt.
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If you have a hot, sunny, dry spot next to a sidewalk or, if your municipality allows boulevard gardens, in the space between a sidewalk and a roadway, this is a great species for end of season blooms in those difficult locations.
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They also stay quite low for a fall blooming Aster, generally between 12” and 18” although they can grow taller in a richer soil with more moisture, with a spread of 18” to 24”. They are clump forming, rather than running, so are another species that could fit perfectly well into a conventional garden, as long as it isn’t watered too often.
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Some additional companion species I would recommend include Blue Eyed Grass, Prairie Smoke, Lance Leaf Coreopsis, Hairy Beardtongue, Spotted Horsemint, Orange Butterflyweed, Pearly Everlasting and Little Bluestem.
