Aromatic Aster

Symphyotrichum oblongifolium

Aromatic Aster earns its common name the moment you brush the foliage. the leaves release a pleasant, resinous fragrance that lingers on your fingers. In fall the plant transforms into a mound of violet-purple daisy flowers with yellow centers, blooming right through October and into November in mild years. The timing and color make it one of the most important fall pollinator plants available. Crush a leaf and smell it. That's what you get every time you walk by this plant for the rest of fall. The mounded, compact growth habit stays tidy without staking, and it tolerates lean, dry, rocky soil that challenges most other fall-blooming natives. The combination of fragrance, spectacular fall bloom, drought tolerance, and extraordinary pollinator value makes this one of our most recommended plants.