Virginia ecotype
Duration: PerennialHabit: Upright, bushy with woody stems, somewhat sprawling at maturity
Size: 2 to 5 feet tall; up to 3 feet wide; often smaller
Flowering Time: September to November, sometimes starts earlier
Bloom Color: Bright lavender to purple with yellow centers
Habitat: Dry to mesic open woods, sandy fields, roadsides, and clearings
Moisture: Dry to average; well-drained
Light: Full sun to part sun
Soils: Sandy, clay, or loamy soils, often acidic; must be well draining
Uses: Pollinator gardens, mid-ground support of native plantings, disturbed site restoration, difficult areas with poor or sandy soil, part sun gardens
Symphyotrichum grandiflorum (Largeflower aster)
Symphyotrichum grandiflorum, or Largeflower Aster, is a southeastern native with incredibly showy violet-purple blooms the size of silver dollar coins, larger than those of all other asters in our area. The flowers can begin as early as July, with the heaviest showing September to October, continuing often into November. Blooms are packed densely on bushy, often slightly woody, sprawling stems.
We utilize this species as a "backdrop" that fills in space between other plants, remaining inconspicuous until fall purple flowers take center stage. The purple blooms of Largeflower aster set against the golden amber of native grasses (such as Andropogon) and the yellow of goldenrods, is a glorious autumnal sight. The flowers are particularly popular for native bees of all kinds, including aster specialists, but also attracts moths and butterflies.
Largeflower aster tolerates dry, poor, sandy and clay soils. It does perfectly fine in average/mesic, loamy and higher organic content soils so long as they are well draining. The semi-woody stem means this aster typically doesn't flop, and can actually help to support other plant stems in a dense community planting.
Its limited native range, mostly in sandy soils of the Carolinas and parts of Georgia and Virginia, makes it a regionally significant species for conservation, as its populations are declining primarily due to habitat loss.
Despite its striking flowers and garden potential, it's not commonly known or cultivated, possibly because it doesn't seem self-compatable (needing multiple plants to reproduce reliably), and a preferrence for nutrient-poor, disturbed soils. It’s part of fire-adapted ecosystems and can re-establish in areas that are periodically cleared or burned, boasting great ecological resilience to disturbance.