Junegrass vs Hairy Golden Aster - TreeTime.ca

Junegrass vs Hairy Golden Aster

Heterotheca villosa

Koeleria macrantha

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Hairy Golden Aster
Junegrass

Hairy Golden Aster is a native perennial wildflower known for its clusters of bright yellow, daisy-like blooms. They bloom from mid-summer into fall, providing late-season colour and a valuable nectar source for pollinators, including a variety of bee species.

Flowers mature into fluffy seed heads and can self-seed readily. Removing spent blooms helps manage their spread, but some people will choose to leave a few seed heads to provide food for birds. Hairy Golden Aster grow in bushy clumps, tolerates poor sandy soils, and once established, are among the most drought-tolerant wildflowers. They are well-suited for pollinator gardens, restoration, naturalization, and xeriscaping projects.

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.

Junegrass is a native, low-growing perennial bunchgrass commonly found in prairies and open woodlands. It is a great choice for prairie restoration and naturalization projects or an attractive accent in ornamental plantings. Spear-shaped seed heads rise above the gray-green lower leaves, maturing to a tan color. Flowering earlier than other upright prairie grasses, it greens up quickly in spring and maintains its appeal well into the fall. It is shorter in stature and rarely forms thick stands, which adds to its understated visual appeal.

Adapted to cooler climates, Junegrass thrives in well-drained, rocky, sandy, or gritty soils and can tolerate drought, cold, and high altitudes. It actively grows in spring and fall when soil temperatures are cool, but in areas that are too hot or humid, it may go dormant by late summer.

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.

Hairy Golden Aster Quick Facts

Junegrass Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Height: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: very fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: upright, clump-forming
Spreading: seeds - high, rhizomes - medium
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium


Flowers: bright yellow, daisy-like
Bloom time: mid summer to early fall
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Other Names: hairy false golden aster, hairy false goldenaster, hairy goldenaster
Other Names: koeleria cristata, prairie junegrass, prairie koelers grass