Blue Wood Aster

Symphyotrichum cordifolium

Blue Wood Aster is the aster for the shade garden. While most asters demand full sun, Blue Wood Aster blooms reliably in part to nearly full shade, producing loose, airy sprays of pale blue-violet to nearly white flowers in September and October. The flowers are small but abundant and have a natural, wildflower quality that suits woodland and shade gardens better than the bolder asters of the sunny border. The heart-shaped basal leaves are distinctive and attractive from spring through fall. In dappled shade this aster spreads gently and self-sows to naturalize into informal drifts that feel like they've always been there. It's a key plant for extending fall color and pollinator habitat into parts of the garden that most native plants can't reach. Pair it with ferns and arisaema for a classic eastern woodland fall combination.