Symphyotrichum ciliolatum (Fr: aster ciliolé | En: Lindley's aster)

Symphyotrichum ciliolatum (Lindley’s Aster)
Also known as: Fringed Blue Aster, northern heart-leaved aster, ciliolate aster

This elegant native aster is a resilient late-summer bloomer that thrives in drier, open habitats such as alvars, sand dunes, and sunny slopes. Its violet-blue flowers with yellow centres attract a variety of late-season pollinators, including native bees and butterflies. Symphyotrichum ciliolatum is especially well-suited to naturalistic plantings and restoration sites where moisture is limited but light is abundant.

Unlike the more moisture-loving and shade-tolerant Symphyotrichum cordifolium (Heart-leaved Aster), Lindley’s Aster prefers sunnier, drier locations and has more lance-shaped or oval leaves with cilliate hairs on the margins of the petiole and it generally lacks the heart-shaped base. It also tends to have a more sprawling growth form and blooms slightly earlier.

Height: 30–90 cm
Bloom Time: Late summer to early fall
Habitat: Dry woods, forest edges, roadsides, meadows
Light Requirements: Full sun to part shade
Moisture: Dry to moderately moist
Soil: Prefers well-drained soils, adaptable to sandy or rocky substrates