← Bedfellow

Heart-leaved Aster

Symphyotrichum cordifolium

Also known as: Blue Wood Aster

Heart-shaped basal leaves and clouds of small lavender-blue flowers. Excellent late-season pollinator plant for shade. Young leaves have been cooked as a green.

Family

Asteraceae

Type

wildflower

Lifespan

perennial

Height

2–5 ft

Spacing

1.5–2 ft apart

Light

sun

Soil moisture

moist

Soil pH

acidic, neutral

Bloom

June, July, August, September, October, November

Bloom colors

purple

Wildlife value

pollinators, songbirds

Caterpillar hosts

~109 butterfly & moth species

Landscape uses

border, erosion control, naturalizing

Native states

AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV