Aromatic aster is a native perennial wildflower in the Asteraceae (daisy) family. In nature it is found on rock outcrops and dry woodlands over limestone and calcareous shale. The common name comes from the balsam-like fragrance it gives off when its rigid stems are crushed. Plant in the full sun with well-drained soil. Reaching a mature height and width of 3 feet, aromatic aster creates dense, low mounds. It propagates by its wind-dispersed seeds or it can spread by stolons. The showy, small purple flowers have a long bloom season lasting from late summer until the first frost. Native bees nest in the dead, hollow stems, so gardeners are encouraged to cut back dead stems to 12 to 24 inches and allow them to remain standing until they disintegrate on their own. Read more about best practices for stem-nesting bees in this NC Extension publication . Mass plant along a walkway or use in the front of a sunny border. It is just as at home in a meadow or naturalized area. This plant is resistant to browsing by deer and rabbits and is both drought-tolerant and tolerant of coastal conditions. This is a great substitute to use in place of fall mums. This plant was selected as the 2000 NC Wildflower of the Year , a program managed by the North Carolina Botanical Garden with some financial support from the Garden Club of North Carolina. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious insect or disease problems. Asters can have some susceptibility to powdery mildew and aster wilt. Poorly-drained clay soils and poor air circulation can contribute to this. Improving drainage and good air circulation helps reduce the incidence of foliar diseases. VIDEO: Part of the Native Plant Picks series from the North Carolina Sea Grant led Coastal Landscapes Initiative . More information on Symphyotrichum .
Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗Reconciled to full toolbox: matched by slug to slug 'symphyotrichum-oblongifolium'. Identity (id/common/scientific name) preserved from the original 87-plant Hunnicutt set; attribute data refreshed from the 62-attribute toolbox scrape.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Dense; Mounding
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Oblanceolate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf value
Fragrant
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
2-3 inch long by .5 inch wide simple, clasping, alternate, oblong leaves with entire margins. Become smaller as they ascend the stem. Fragrant when crushed.
Flower color
Purple/Lavender
Flower value
Good Cut; Long-lasting; Showy
Flower form
Head
Flower shape
Radial
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
1-1.5 inch wide composite flowers have 25-30 blue-purple rays with yellow center disc flowers. The bracts are glandular with long, green, loose, or spreading tips. Blooms from late summer to first frost. One of the last flowers blooming before a heavy frost.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit type
Achene
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Achenes with small turfs of light brown hair are distributed by the wind. Displays from October to November
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Green
Stem detail
Slightly pubescent round green stems turn brown with age.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
U.S.A. to North East Mexico
Wildlife value
Members of the genus Symphyotrichum support the following specialized bees: Andrena (Callandrena s.l.) asteris, Andrena (Callandrena s.l.) asteroides, Andrena (Cnemidandrena) hirticincta, Andrena (Cnemidandrena) nubecula, Andrena (Callandrena s.l.) placata, Andrena (Callandrena s.l.) simplex, and Colletes simulans. The showy small purple flowers have a long bloom season lasting from late summer until the first frost.
Attracts
Butterflies; Pollinators; Small Mammals; Songbirds