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Butterfly Garden

Best late flowering Asters for Butterflies

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

Hi

I am looking to grow some plants to attract late season butterflies into my garden for next year and I have been looking into which late flowering Asters may be the best options, I have seen some Aster Oblongifolius Raydon's Favourite plants growing in a garden just along the street and they appear to be real butterfly magnets when in flower during October and November but I have also recently heard that Aster Tataricus Jindai are another superb late season butterfly magnet so my questions are:-

1 Which of these two late flowering Asters attracts the most butterflies
2 How does the flowering period of Jindai compare to that of Raydon's Favorite
3 Does anyone have any other recommendations for late flowering Asters which attract loads of butterflies

I will look forward to hearing all your opinions, thank you.

Scott

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Comments (9)

KC Clark - Zone 2012-6a OH
8 years ago
Your location may be helpful. I'm guessing from your spelling that you are not in the US.
SCOTT WATSON
Original Author
8 years ago
I now live in the San Antonio, Texas area having moved there from the UK in 2014.
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KC Clark - Zone 2012-6a OH
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Heath aster AKA Aster ericoides is the only aster that I have that is also found in TX. It has proven popular in the fall but I don't get butterflies bigger than buckeyes on it. An example would be that I've never seen monarchs on mine.
docmom_gw
8 years ago
Plants that are native to your geographic area are best suited to survive, and they evolved along with the butterflies that will be found near you, so are familiar to "your"butterflies. I would find a list of native blooming plants and try to provide flowers that bloom throughout the seasons when butterflies are typically active where you are located. Here in Michigan, New England Asters and all kinds of Goldenrod are the most common nectar sources in late fall

Martha
joncongaroo
8 years ago
Check out the book Butterfly Gardening for Texas by Geyata Ajilvsgi at your local Library for too many choices.
KC Clark - Zone 2012-6a OH
8 years ago
I also have New England asters but I did not mention them because they are not a Texas plant. Figure it is too hot for them.
junco East Georgia zone 8a
8 years ago
It's not an aster, but check out Conoclinium--there are 3 species. The one I grow here in Georgia is referred to as Hardy Ageratum. It attracts several kinds of butterflies while the Aster Raydon's Favorite had mostly bees on it.
docmom_gw
8 years ago
I have seed of Hardy ageratum that I just collected from my plants, if you want some. I could even go out and grab you more than you could possibly use.

Martha
MissSherry
8 years ago
I'm in southeast Mississippi and have Aster oblongifolius, don't think it's Raydon's Favorite, but I think it's another named variety that I got at Sunlight Gardens. I have the species and it hasn't done as well as this named variety, which has also hosted pearl crescent caterpillar for the past two springs. It blooms prolifically in fall, and many butterflies, mostly small ones, visit it.

Sherry

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