
Short's aster: A beautiful late season extravaganza for pollinators
From Backyard Ecology™ by Shannon Trimboli
October 23, 2025 · 7 min · Episode 112
About this episode
This episode discusses the importance of Short's aster as a late-blooming native plant for pollinators.
Summary Late blooming native plants are crucial sources of pollen and nectar for pollinators. One of my favorite species that blooms in October, and often into early November, is Short's aster ( Symphyotrichum shortii ). 3 things you'll learn from this episode: The biology and life history of Short's aster. The pollinators and wildlife that use it. How to incorporate it into your garden. Resources mentioned: BONAP's range map for Short's aster Plant Life of Kentucky: An Illustrated Guide to the Vascular Flora * * affiliate link – We get paid a small commission for purchases made through this link, but it comes at no extra cost to you. All commissions that we receive through affiliate links goes toward producing Backyard Ecology™ content. We appreciate your support. Other Backyard Ecology™ resources: Black-eyed Susan: A favorite nectar source for butterflies Discover Your Next Steps Habitat Creation Quiz Backyard Ecology™ Community Thank you Thank you to our amazing Patrons who go above and beyond every month to provide financial support which helps us create so much free content for everyone to enjoy and learn from.
People in this episode
Host: Shannon Trimboli
Topics covered
- pollinators
- native plants
- gardening
- Short's aster
- wildlife
- October blooms
Keywords
- Short's aster
- pollinators
- nectar
- pollen
- gardening
- native plants
- October blooms
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: BONAP
Books & works: Plant Life of Kentucky: An Illustrated Guide to the Vascular Flora
Places: Kentucky, Backyard Ecology™ Community
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