Family: Asteraceae
Name: Ionactis linariifolia
Bloom Time: August - October
Flower: Purple (sometimes white or pink)
Soil Condition: Average-dry-moist
Light: Sun-Partial Shade
Height: 12-20" tall by 12" wide
Native Range: Eastern United States including Long Island
Zone: 4-9
The stiff aster is an underutilized native plant that is at home in a sunny or partially sunny border. The needle-like foliage and tidy form make it a great edger. It is also a nice addition to rock gardens.
Photo: Flowers and form (Pauline Singleton CC BY-NC 4.0)
Maintenance: cut back in June as this is an earlier blooming variety of aster
Benefits: Attracts native bees and specialists, butterflies and beetles, host plant to the silvery checkerspot and pearl crescent butterflies
Companion Plants: Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed), Monarda fistulosa (Wild Bergamot), Heliopsis helianthoides (False Sunflower), Eragrostis spectabilis (Purple Love Grass), Schizachyrium scoparium (Little Bluestem)
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