Aromatic Aster
(Aster oblongifolius)

During late summer and fall, the most important nectar plant is the aster.  Bees, wasps, butterflies and moths hover over the blossoms in the gardens at Lakeside; at times there are so many insects feeding that the flowers are almost obscured.

Aromatic Asters are the last asters to bloom -- one of the cultivars of this plant is called 'October Skies"; during October, the color of the sky is deeper blue than usual.