Purple Dome New England Aster

Purple Dome turns into a dense mound of purple at the end of the growing season, when many summer perennials are already fading. Hundreds of daisy-like flowers can cover the plant from late summer well into fall, drawing butterflies, native bees, hoverflies, and other insects.

As a compact selection of Symphyotrichum novae-angliae, it retains the ecological relationships of one of eastern North America's most valuable asters. New England aster supports specialized bees and butterfly larvae and provides critical nectar for migrating monarchs (even though it is not a monarch larval host). Seeds can also be eaten by birds later in the season.

• Grow in full sun for the tightest mound and best flowering, with medium soil that does not remain severely dry.
• Good air movement helps reduce foliar disease.
• Leave some seedheads standing through winter if wildlife value is a priority.