Western Mountain Aster
Symphyotrichum spathulatum
- Native to:
- Canada, Mexico, United States
Matt Berger (www.inaturalist.org)
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Asteraceae
- Genus:
- Symphyotrichum
- Species:
- Symphyotrichum spathulatum
- USDA Symbol:
- SYSP
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 60 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- jul,aug,sep,oct
- Bloom Colors:
- purple, violet, blue
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★★★☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
- Pollen Specialist Bee Keystone:
- ★★★★☆ Native pollen specialist bee species supported by this genus (NWF)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: Fernald cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus flavidus), Fuzzy-horned bumble bee (Bombus mixtus), Indiscriminate cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus insularis), Two-form bumble bee (Bombus bifarius), Western bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis), Yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees, butterflies, birds
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts from rootstock following fire; typical of western asters adapted to fire-prone habitats.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- moist, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- good drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- often found in meadows and along streams
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–28 days
- Notes:
- Surface sow; seeds require light for germination. Cold stratification improves germination rates.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: None required
Establishment: Seed is collected in mid to late September when the pappus expands. It is wind disseminated, so must be collected before it blows away. Seed can be collected using a vacuum cleaner. This method only removes mature seed, leaving immature seed to ripen.
Source: npn.rngr.net