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Blue Wood Aster
Symphyotrichum cordifolium

Blue Wood or Heart-leaved Aster is a good food source for pollinators in the late summer and fall. It does best in partial shade but can tolerate a range of growing conditions.

USDA symbol: SYCO4

General Information

Plant TypeForb
Height3 feet
Light ExposurePart Sun, Shade
Soil MoistureDry
Bloom ColorBlue
Blue Wood Aster (Blue Wood Aster<div><em class="small">Symphyotrichum cordifolium</em></div>)
Photo credit: Minnesota Wildflowers (Click to enlarge)

Tolerances

Flooding / Inundation ToleranceModerate
General Resilience7
Salt ToleranceNone
Stress ToleranceDrought Tolerant, Fire Tolerant

Pollinator Value: Very High

Bloom MonthsSeptember to October
Larval Host ofBees, Moths
Specific Pollinators HostedAcrocercops astericola, Numerous bee species
Pollinator BenefitInsect Pollinated, Provides Nectar, Stem Nesting, Supports Generalists

Project Planning

Project TypeShoreline Buffer
Coefficient of Conservatism6
Herbivore SensitivityLow
LifespanPerennial
Rate of SpreadMedium
Soil StabilizationShallow
Vegetative ReproductionClonal

Range

CountyBlue Earth, Brown, Carver, Chisago, Cottonwood, Dakota, Faribault, Fillmore, Goodhue, Hennepin, Le Sueur, Lincoln, Mille Lacs, Murray, Olmsted, Pine, Ramsey, Redwood, Renville, Rice, Sibley, Wabasha, Waseca, Washington, Watonwan
EcoregionDriftless Area, Lake Agassiz Plain, North Central Hardwood Forests, Northern Glaciated Plains, Northern Lakes and Forests, Northern Minnesota Wetlands, Western Cornbelt Plains
Approximate Eco ProvinceEastern Broadleaf Forest, Laurentian Mixed Forest, Prairie Parkland, Tallgrass Aspen Parklands