What California Aster feeds and shelters
- Autumn bloom for pollinators and a huge caterpillar list for the birds. As one of the asters, California Aster is a keystone plant for caterpillars, and caterpillars are the main food songbirds carry to their nestlings.
- From July into November, its flowers are a steady nectar stop for bees and butterflies.
- Songbirds find food and shelter in it.
- Deer tend to leave it alone.
Larval host counts published by the National Wildlife Federation for CEC Level I ecoregions, drawn from Douglas Tallamy and Kimberley Shropshire’s host-plant research. Counts are documented species records from the United States portion of each ecoregion; no Canadian host records were used. They describe a genus across its range, not a single plant in one garden.
Bloom calendar
Blooms July to November
- January: not in bloom
- February: not in bloom
- March: not in bloom
- April: not in bloom
- May: not in bloom
- June: not in bloom
- July: in bloom
- August: in bloom
- September: in bloom
- October: in bloom
- November: in bloom
- December: not in bloom
About California Aster
Reaches 30–90 cm at maturity. Draws bees and butterflies to the garden. Deer tend to leave it alone.
Related native plants