Slender Wheatgrass vs Showy Aster - TreeTime.ca

Slender Wheatgrass vs Showy Aster

Elymus trachycaulus

Eurybia conspicua

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Slender Wheatgrass
Showy Aster

Slender Wheatgrass is a native perennial bunchgrass common across North America. It establishes quickly, making it effective for site recovery.
It produces upright seed heads that provide seasonal interest and seed for wildlife, and favoured for browsing by elk and sheep. Its seeds are eaten by birds and small mammals, and it provides cover for wildlife.
Slender Wheatgrass is among the first native grasses used for reclamation in western Canada and the U.S. It does exceptionally well in saline soils.

Showy Aster is a native perennial wildflower recognized for its tall stems topped with clusters of light purple blooms. Blooming from late summer into autumn, it provides an important late-season source of nectar and pollen for pollinators. It also produces seeds that are eaten by birds, extending its value to wildlife beyond the flowering season.

Drought tolerant once established, Showy Aster grows well in urban, rural, and disturbed sites. With its mix of ecological value and ornamental appeal, it is ideal for pollinator gardens, naturalization projects, and ecological restoration.

Slender Wheatgrass Quick Facts

Showy Aster Quick Facts

Zone: 1b
Zone: 2b
Height: 0.8 m (2.5 ft)
Height: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: any
Moisture: any
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: upright, clump-forming
Growth form: upright, colony-forming
Spreading: tillering - high, seeds - medium
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - medium


Flowers: purple-blue, with yellow centers
Bloom time: late summer to early fall
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB
Other Names: slender wildrye, western wheatgrass
Other Names: western showy aster