Smooth Aster vs Yellow Mountain Avens

Smooth Aster is a native perennial wildflower known for its violet-blue, daisy-like flowers. They bloom later in the season, from late summer to early fall. The flowers attract a variety of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. It also serves as a host plant for the Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis) and Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos) butterflies, further enhancing its ecological value. This easy-to-grow wildflower is well suited for native wildflower gardens, pollinator gardens, and naturalization projects.

The Smooth Aster’s non-aggressive root system allows it to spread slowly, and it is more likely to reproduce by seed, which can be controlled through deadheading. As a perennial, it dies back to the crown each winter, it will regrow from the base in the spring. Avoid disturbing the crown during late winter to ensure healthy growth the following season.

Yellow Mountain Avens is a native perennial wildflower with bright yellow buttercup-like blooms. The nectar-rich flowers attract a variety of pollinators, including bees and butterflies. By thriving at higher elevations, it helps sustain pollinator populations and provides one of the earliest sources of nectar and pollen in alpine habitats.

As a nitrogen-fixing plant, Yellow Mountain Avens enriches soil fertility and supports the growth of surrounding vegetation. It forms dense, spreading mats of evergreen foliage that act as a groundcover and help stabilize soil. Often among the first species to establish in disturbed alpine sites such as glacial outwash or landslides, it is well-suited for alpine revegetation, erosion control, naturalization, and ecological restoration projects in harsh, rocky environments.

Compare Smooth Aster with

Compare Yellow Mountain Avens with