Calico Aster
Symphyotrichum lateriflorum
Tiny white stars age to pink and lavender, so one plant shows four colors at once. Blooms September through November for late monarchs and bees.
Typically 1 pint–1 gal · $9–$30 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
Late-blooming calico flowers that look different at each stage -- and one of the most important monarch rest stops in the fall garden.
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.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown calico aster propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 1.5–3 ft · 18–30 in wide
- Bloom time
- September–November
- Bloom color
- White, Pink, Lavender
- USDA zones
- 3–8
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Native range
- Eastern and central North America from Nova Scotia south to Florida and west to Nebraska, in disturbed areas, woodland edges, and moist thickets
Care notes for calico aster.
Full to part shade in average to dry, well-drained soil. Adapts to a wide range of conditions. Pinch in early July to control height. Cut back in early spring. Divide every three to four years. Self-seeds moderately; allow some seedlings to fill in gaps.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside calico aster.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.