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Douglas Aster
(Symphyotrichum subspicatum)
Anno 25 August 2019
A native flower growing on Shaw Island,
San Juan Archipelago, WA.
Author photograph.
Native Douglas Aster
One of the best native flowers to grow for a food source for a large number of pollinators. Can be cast out in the fall.Life Cycle: Perennial
Hardiness Zone: 5-9
Habit: c. 3'-4' x 2', other places. (Only about 2' in height on Shaw Island, partly hidden in thick grass.) Laden with lilac-purple daisy-like flowers from July to October.
Soil: Prefers moist but also quite drought tolerant.
Germination: Seeds germinate easily and can be direct sown in fall or spring or started in flats in the spring and then transplanted.
TOLERATES: Shaw Island Deer!
For light conditions, this Aster will take full sun or partial shade areas subjected to salt or saline soils, areas that receive occasional floods and gardens that are blasted with cold winters.
Native: from the Aleutian Islands to northern California.
Notes: This is a late-season bloomer providing essential nectar to insects at a time when many other flowering plants are shutting down for winter.
Food source for a large number of butterfly and moth species, including the northern crescent, the field crescent, the painted lady, and the Isabella tiger moth (a.k.a. 'Wooly Bears'). The nectar-rich flowers attract hefty numbers of late-season bees, including bumblebees, leafcutter bees, and skippers. Also good for a rain garden.*
*Rain Garden: is a depressed area in the landscape that collects rainwater from a roof, driveway, or street, and also a place to let it sink into the ground. Planted with grasses and flowering perennials, rain gardens can be a cost-effective and beautiful way to reduce runoff from your property. Rain gardens can also provide food and shelter for butterflies and songbirds.
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Douglas Aster seeds (Symphyotrichum subspicatum) Before being cleaned for packets. Native to Shaw Island, Center of the San Juan Archipelago, Washington. Photographed 12 September 2019. Photograph by author. |
For instructions on building a rain garden CLICK HERE.
People interested in food for pollinators visiting their orchard and garden, there are a few packets of these native seeds now included at the Gatehouse, Reefnet Bay Road, Shaw Island, WA.
