Hairy Golden Aster vs Canada Anemone - TreeTime.ca

Hairy Golden Aster vs Canada Anemone

Heterotheca villosa

Anemonastrum canadense (Anemone canadensis)

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Hairy Golden Aster
Canada Anemone

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.

Canada Anemone is a native perennial wildflower known for its white, buttercup-like flowers. Blooming from mid-spring to early summer, it attracts a variety of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. Its deep green foliage, characterized by deeply cut leaves with sharply toothed edges, adds texture and visual interest to the landscape even when the plant is not in bloom.

Canada Anemone grows naturally in moist meadows, forest edges, and riparian zones. Spreading rapidly through underground rhizomes, it forms large colonies that can help stabilize soil. It is well-suited to naturalization and restoration projects, including revegetating difficult, wet sites. Also suitable for rain gardens and pollinator gardens, but extra care and maintenance may be required to control its spread in smaller urban yards.

Hairy Golden Aster Quick Facts

Canada Anemone Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: upright, clump-forming
Growth form: spreading, colony forming
Spreading: seeds - high, rhizomes - medium
Spreading: rhizomes - high
Maintenance: medium
Maintenance: medium


Toxicity: all plants parts toxic if ingested, can cause skin irritation
Flowers: bright yellow, daisy-like
Flowers: white, cup-shaped
Bloom time: mid summer to early fall
Bloom time: mid spring to early summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: hairy false golden aster, hairy false goldenaster, hairy goldenaster
Other Names: american meadow anemone, meadow anemone, roundleaf anemone, roundleaf thimbleweed