Big-Leaved Aster (Eurybia macrophylla)
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)
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
