Calico Aster

Symphyotrichum lateriflorum

Calico aster earns its name. The flowers are tiny white stars, each with a yellow center that turns rose-pink to lavender as it ages -- so on a single plant in full bloom, you see white, yellow, pink, and lavender all at once, creating a calico-quilt effect that is genuinely distinctive. The dark, almost black stems hold branches outward in a wide, arching habit that fills space beautifully without staking. It blooms heavily from September through November, one of the latest-blooming native asters and therefore one of the most valuable for migrating monarch butterflies and late-season native bees building up reserves for winter. Chickadees and small sparrows feed on the seeds through winter. A high-value, low-maintenance native for gardens of any scale.