General Description
Bloom Description: Blooms August to October. Disk flowers are bright yellow and ray flowers are bright blue. The inflorescence is big for the aster family.
Growth Habit & Shape: [GROWTH HABIT & SHAPE TEXT]
Soil Preferences: Dry, sandy to loamy, and dry woodland soils. Sometimes found in wetter conditions.
Root Description: Rhizomatous
Garden Uses: Rock gardens or shorter plantings. Short meadows, heathlands. Open woodlands or part shady gardens.
Best Management & Maintenance: Cut back flower stems late winter/early spring.
Common Problems: None.
Benefits
Ornamental Value: Showy aster has large, long lasting flowers, and beautiful low-growing foliage that mixes well with other ground covers.
Wildlife Benefits: Asters are magnets for all sorts of pollinators, and this one is no exception. Hummingbird will visit this species.
Other Practical/Environmental Benefits:
Use in place of: Bugleweed (Ajuga)
Ecology
Habitat:
Eurybia spectabilis only grows naturally along the coast in New England. It inhabits dry grasslands, heathlands and woodlands, granite ledges and outcrops.
Response to Disturbance: Will seed into openings after disturbance, especially if the soil is sandy.
Native State Distributions:
Canada:
USA: AL, CT, DE, GA, MA, MD, NC, NJ, NY, PA, RI, SC, VA
Wetland indicator status: N/A
Companion Plants:
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (Bearberry), Danthonia spicata (Poverty grass), Eragrostis spectabilis (Purple love grass), Solidago nemoralis (Grey goldenrod), Solidago bicolor (White goldenrod)
References
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