Big-Leaved Aster (Eurybia macrophylla)

$5.00

Big-Leaved Aster is one of the few native woodland perennials to flower in late summer. It is the host plant to the Silvery Checkerspot and the Pearl Crescent butterflies (illinoiswildflower.info) and it is the host plant of 10 different specialist bees (Holm, 2017) (Johnson and Colla, 2023). The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract a large variety of insects, including butterflies and native bees. It can be a spreader, so give it some space to make a great ground cover for your shade garden or a soft landing under your big trees.

Photo credit: Dave Lage (1), John Blair (2)

Big-Leaved Aster is one of the few native woodland perennials to flower in late summer. It is the host plant to the Silvery Checkerspot and the Pearl Crescent butterflies (illinoiswildflower.info) and it is the host plant of 10 different specialist bees (Holm, 2017) (Johnson and Colla, 2023). The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract a large variety of insects, including butterflies and native bees. It can be a spreader, so give it some space to make a great ground cover for your shade garden or a soft landing under your big trees.

Photo credit: Dave Lage (1), John Blair (2)

Life Cycle: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Partial shade, shade

Soil Moisture: Medium-wet, Medium, Dry

Height: 12 inches

Plant Spacing: 2-3 feet

Bloom Time: August - October

Bloom Color: White

Advantages: Pollinator Favorite, Recommended, but can be very vigorous

Host Plant: Silvery Checkerspot, the Pearl Crescent, and Goldenrod Hooded Owlet (illinoiswildflower.info)

Specialist Bee: Andrena hirticincta, A. asteris, A. canadensis, A. placata, A. nubecula, A. simplex, Pseudopanurgus andrenoides, Pseudopanurgus compositarum, Melissodes druriellus, and Lasioglossum lustrans (Holm, 2017) (Johnson and Colla, 2023)

Beneficial Insects: Syrphid Flies

Complementary Plants: American Spikenard, Zigzag Goldenrod, Native Ferns, White Snakeroot

Resources: Holm, Heather. Bees: An Identification and Native Plant Forage Guide. Pollination Press, 2017

Resource: Johnson, Lorraine, and Sheila Colla. A Northern Gardener’s Guide to Native Plants and Pollinators: Creating Habitat in the Northeast, Great Lakes, and Upper Midwest. Island Press, 2023

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