Aromatic Aster

Symphyotrichum oblongifolium

Pollinator Value

🐝 Specialist Bee Host: Andrena aliciae, Andrena asteris, Andrena asteroides, Andrena canadensis, Andrena chromotricha, Andrena hirticincta, Andrena nubecula, Andrena peckhami, Andrena placata, Andrena simplex, Calliopsis coloradensis, Perdita albipennis, Perdita octomaculata, Pseudopanurgus aestivalis, Pseudopanurgus andrenoides, Pseudopanurgus compositarum, Melissodes boltoniae, Melissodes dentiventris, Melissodes druriellus, Melissodes illatus, Melissodes niveus, Melissodes pilleatus, Melissodes subillatus, Melissodes tinctus, Melissodes trinodis, Svastra aegis, Anthophorula asteris, Colletes americanus, Colletes compactus, Colletes simulans, Colletes speculiferus, Dianthidium simile, Megachile parallela
S17 Fowler pollen specialists on Symphyotrichum

Proximity Score: 4
Native Status: ❌ Outaouais ❌ Ottawa ❌ QC ❌ ON
Closest Direction: S
CEC Eco-Regions: 5 – Northern Forests, 5.3 – Atlantic Highlands, 5.3.3 – North Central Appalachians
Rarity Notes: Not ranked in Ontario or Quebec as the species is not native to either province. Globally secure (G5). Native to 28 US states from PA to WY and south to TX. Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC.
S22 G5, no ON/QC ranks; S26 not SARA listed
Migration: Disjunct
Ecological Context: A prairie and open-woodland species of the interior United States, found on dry, rocky, calcareous substrates including limestone glades, shale outcrops, and sandy prairies from Pennsylvania west to Montana and south to Texas. Nearest preserved specimens to the Ottawa Valley are from New York and Pennsylvania, on sandstone and limestone cliffs. This species reaches its northeastern limit in the Appalachian region and is disjunct from the Outaouais.
S6 range and habitat; S4 calcareous prairies; S48 nearest specimens PA/NY

Roles: Insectary Plant, Pollinator Attractor
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Insectary Plant: S64 NPPBI 'beneficial insects' flag] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [HIGH]: S64 Xerces listed (source-classified)]
Notes: As a very late-blooming prairie aster (Aug-Nov), aromatic aster fills a critical nectar gap when few other species are flowering. It pairs well with warm-season grasses and early/mid-season prairie forbs to provide continuous bloom. Its mounding habit and tolerance of dry, rocky soils make it suitable for prairie and meadow edges.
S64 late blooming monarch nectar; S6 dry prairie habitat; S46 bush-like mounding form

Category: Dermatological Aid, Ceremonial Medicine
S28 Navajo Ramah: lotion for protection from witches (ceremonial/dermatological use)
Notes: Navajo (Ramah) used a decoction as a lotion for protection from witches, classified under witchcraft medicine. This represents a ceremonial/protective use rather than a therapeutic application in the Western sense.
S28 Vestal 1952, Ethnobotany of the Ramah Navaho

❌ Not Edible

Foraging Notes: No documented food uses. Moerman records only medicinal/drug uses for this species among the Navajo.
S28 1 use, Medicine/Drug only