Aster chilensis

California Aster

The lavender, daisy-like flowers of this perennial make showy, cheerful displays along the roadsides of much of coastal southern California each summer. It may be planted in either full sun or partial shade, and it will tolerate clay. This plant comes in dwarf (under 8 inches high) and tall (from 1 to 2 feet high) forms.

Wildlife value: This plant is a well-liked nectar source for our native moths and butterflies. It is an important late-blooming source of nectar. Field Crescent butterfly larvae eat the foliage. Quail, towhees, sparrows, and other ground-feeding birds eat the small seeds.