Frost Aster - Symphyotrichum pilosum

 Category: Perennial

Common Name: Frost Aster 

Scientific Name: Symphyotrichum pilosum

Sun Conditions:Partial Shade/Full Shade

Soil Conditions: Moist to Wet

Height Range: 1-2 ft

Width Range: 1-2 ft

Growth Habit: Spring to Summer

Growth Rate: Brown, White

Bloom Color: Yes

Bloom Time: Green

Seed/Fruit Production: Clumping

Foliage Color: Medium

Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8

Evergreen: No (herbaceous perennial; lower leaves often die back in summer heat)

Deer Resistant: Moderate — most sources call it moderately deer resistant, but tender young foliage is browsed by deer and rabbits in spring

Forage: Young spring foliage browsed by deer and rabbits; otherwise not a preferred forage

Poisonous: No known toxicity

Wildlife Value Highlights: Late-season nectar source for bees, butterflies, moths, wasps and beetles; larval host for the Pearl Crescent butterfly; songbirds and small mammals eat the seeds

Ecological/Landscape Use: Meadows, prairies, roadside/disturbed-soil restoration, pollinator gardens; spreads aggressively by reseeding, especially in open ground

Lepidoptera Supported by Family/Group: Host plant for the Pearl Crescent butterfly

Lepidoptera Supported by Species: Phyciodes tharos

For More Info: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/symphyotrichum-pilosum/