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| Prairie with asters and goldenrod |
| We’re reaching the time of year when many of our favorite perennials are done blooming for the year, and floral resources get harder for insects to find. Thankfully, this is the season when two of our most important plant groups shine: asters and goldenrods. These groups are keystone native plant genera, meaning that they are critical parts of the food web and support a large number of specialists who could not complete their life cycle without them. Blooming from late summer into fall, they provide the nectar, pollen, and foliage that sustain many insects |
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| Brown-hooded owlet |
| Looking at the numbers for our ecoregion, the Eastern Temperate Forest…. Asters (recognized under the genus Aster or Symphyotrichum) host around 100 species of Lepidoptera (moth and butterfly caterpillars), and provide pollen for around 33 species of pollen-specialist bees that cannot process pollen from other species. Goldenrods (genus Solidago) support even more species. They host around 104 species of caterpillars and feed 42 species of pollen-specialist bees. Wow! You may have already started to see yellow and purple flowers blooming along roadways and in fields, and you’ll only see more as we move into September and October. One of the more prominent species that you’ll see growing wild is Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis). While it supports a large number of species, it is also very aggressive and not well-suited for average garden conditions. You may have also heard that it and other goldenrods cause hay fever in the fall… which is actually incorrect! Hay fever is actually caused by the pollen of ragweed plants (genus Ambrosia), which often grows in similar conditions as goldenrod but is far less conspicuous and lacks goldenrod’s bright yellow flowers. We have a great selection of both asters and goldenrods available for you to choose from to support biodiversity in your neighborhood, including: ASTERS ● Blue Wood Aster (Aster/Symphyotrichum cordifolius) – Light blue flowers in early fall. Partial to full shade. Average to dry soil. 2-3’ tall. ● Heath Aster (Aster/Symphyotrichum ericoides) – NEW for 2024 – White flowers from late summer into fall. Full sun. Average to dry soil. 1-3’ tall. ● Smooth Aster (Aster/Symphyotrichum laevis) – Violet-blue flowers in fall. Full sun. Moist to dry soil. 3-4’ tall. ● New England Aster (Aster/Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) – Purple flowers in late summer into fall. Full sun to part shade. Average to moist soil. 3-6’ tall. ● Sky Blue Aster (Aster/Symphyotrichum oolentangiense) – NEW for 2024 – Purple flowers from late summer into fall. Full sun to part shade. Average to dry soil. 2-3’ tall. ● Flat-topped Aster (Aster/Doellingeria ubellatus) – White flowers in late summer. Full sun to part shade. Average to wet soil. 3-5’ tall. ● Big Leaf Aster (Aster/Eurybia macrophyllus) – NEW for 2024 – White flowers in late summer. Partial to full shade. Average to dry soil. 1-2’ tall. GOLDENRODS ● Bluestem Goldenrod (Solidago caesia) – Yellow flowers in fall. Full sun to part shade. Average to dry soil. 2-3’ tall. ● Gray Goldenrod (Solidago nemoralis) – NEW for 2024 – Yellow flowers in fall. Full sun to part shade. Average to dry soil. 2’ tall. ● Riddell’s Goldenrod (Solidago/Oligoneuron ridellii) – Yellow flowers in fall. Full sun. Average to wet soil. 3-4’ tall. ● ‘Fireworks’ Rough-stemmed Goldenrod (Solidago rugosa ‘Fireworks’) – Yellow flowers in fall. Full sun to part shade. Average to moist soil. 3-4’ tall. ● Solar Cascade Short’s Goldenrod (Solidago shortii ‘Solar Cascade’) – Yellow flowers in fall. Full sun to part shade. Average to dry soil. 2-3’ tall. ● Showy Goldenrod (Solidago speciosa) – Yellow flowers from late summer into fall. Full sun. Average to dry soil. 2-4’ tall. |
August 2024 Newsletter
