Symphyotrichum oblongifolium

Common Names

Aromatic Aster, Fall Aster, Oblong-Leaved Aster

Summary

Aromatic Aster is a herbaceous perennial native to North America, growing as a bushy, stiff, compact mound about 1 to 3 feet tall and wide with rigid oblong blue-green leaves and a balsam-like fragrance when crushed, it bears purple flower heads from late summer into fall that attract bees and butterflies, and it can spread by stolons or rhizomes to form dense clumps, it thrives in full sun with well-drained to dry soils, tolerates drought once established (and poor soils, including clay), and can spread by stolons, sometimes becoming somewhat aggressive and requiring thinning, propagation is possible by seed or softwood cuttings, with uses including ground-cover plantings, mass plantings, borders, wildflower or prairie meadows, and cut flowers, and it is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

12-36 inches

Spread

1-3 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 3-8

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally Full Sun, tolerates Partial Sun and Partial Shade, range from Full Sun to Partial Shade

Soil Type

Well-drained soil

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil, dry to moderately dry

Soil pH

6.1-6.5

Bloom Color

Purple

Bloom Time

Fall (August–November)

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Medium

Seasons of Interest

Fall and Summer

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Division, Basal cuttings, Softwood cuttings

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, butterflies, other pollinators, birds