Frost Aster
Symphyotrichum pilosum
A white haze of tiny flowers from September to the first hard freeze. Late-season fuel for monarchs, warblers, and goldfinches in meadow plantings.
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
Blooms until hard frost -- white clouds of fall flowers when monarch butterflies need final fuel for migration south.
Frost aster is named for the fact that it blooms right up to the first hard freeze -- and sometimes beyond. The tiny white flowers with yellow centers cover the plant in a white haze from September through November, creating a cloud effect that reads beautifully from a distance. The stems are slightly hairy, giving the plant its species name 'pilosum,' and the fine texture of the foliage and flowers makes it an effective softening companion to coarser fall perennials. This is the field and meadow aster that naturalizes freely -- a high-energy, self-sufficient species that does serious ecological work as a late-season fuel stop for monarch butterflies, migrating warblers, and goldfinches. In a naturalized garden or meadow it will spread to fill gaps, which is mostly a good thing.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown frost 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
- Dry
- Mature size
- 2–4 ft · 18–36 in wide
- Bloom time
- September–November
- Bloom color
- White
- USDA zones
- 3–8
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Native range
- Eastern and central North America from Maine south to Florida and west to the Great Plains, in open disturbed areas, meadows, and roadsides
Care notes for frost aster.
Full sun in dry to average, well-drained soil. Spreads by both rhizome and seed -- control in formal settings, allow to naturalize in informal ones. Pinch in early July to control height. Cut back in spring or leave stems for winter bird habitat.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside frost 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’.