Description
Red-stemmed Aster
Symphyotrichum puniceum. Red-stemmed Aster is a moisture-loving aster that lights up wetlands, ditches, and low meadows with vibrant color in late summer and fall. Sturdy, often reddish stems from which it gets its name, support clusters of large, lavender to pale-violet flowers, each with a golden-yellow center that matures to reddish tones as the season progresses. The showy blooms stand out against the plant’s coarse, lance-shaped leaves and can reach impressive heights when moisture is abundant.
Blooming well into the fall, Red-stemmed Aster is a critical late-season resource for pollinators. Provides support for native bees, butterflies, and other insects when few other flowers remain in bloom. It also provides shelter and cover for wildlife in dense plantings.
Thriving in full sun to part shade, Red-stemmed Aster prefers moist to wet soils and is well-suited for rain gardens, wet prairies, and shoreline plantings. Although not aggressive, will spread moderately thorough rhizomes over time. Grows 3 to 6′ in height, but can occasionally reach taller statures in rich soils and saturated conditions.
