New England aster, Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
 
Deep purple flowers offer rich nectar for monarchs to fatten up and migrate to Mexico. The vibrant flowers put on a spectacular show, blooming from August to October and providing a late-season excitement in the garden. The beauty is unsurpassed when a dark orange monarch lands on the purple flowers and any goldenrod, with its complementary colour gold, grows in between. Imagine this mix glowing in the evening sun! New England aster can reach heights of 90-150 cm. If this is too high for you, you can Chelsea chop by cutting the stems back by one-third starting in early June. The plant will be shorter and bushier, producing even more flowers. You can cut back only some stems at a time over a few weeks to extend the flowering time. 
 
The plant is deer resistant, salt and juglone ( black walnut tree) tolerant and suitable for rain gardens.
 
Ecology:
New England aster is an important late-season nectar and pollen source for butterflies and bees. Monarchs fuel up on high-quality nectar before their flight over Lake Erie. Future bumblebee queens fatten up for their hibernation. New England asters, as all asters and goldenrods, are ecological powerhouses. They support dozens of pollen specialist bees with their specific pollen. The larvae of those specialist bees can only feed on aster pollen. New England aster is also a larval host plant for three beautiful crescent butterflies, the silvery checkerspot, as well as for countless moth species. The seeds are an abundant food source for birds throughout the winter.
 
Growing conditions:
New England aster is very easy to grow. In the wild, it grows in old fields and wet meadows, at forest edges, along railways, on roadsides and shorelines. It grows best in moist soil in full to part sun, but will also thrive in regular garden conditions in any soil type.