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Arctic Aster (Siberian Aster)

Eurybia sibirica

Family:

Aster family - Asteraceae

This low-growing aster is a circumpolar species and thrives in a wide range of habitats, making it an easy, high-value addition for most gardens.

Woodland garden

Woodland garden

Container garden

Container garden

Meadow or Grassland garden

Meadow / Grassland garden

Rock garden

Rock garden

Xeriscape garden

Xeriscape garden

Adaptable

Adaptable

Drought tolerant

Drought tolerant

High-value

High-value

Late season star

Late season star

Details

Emerges 

April, May

Seed collection

Flowers

July, August, June

pink flowers

Pink

purple flowers

Purple

August, September

Height

10

-

40

cm

Lifecycle

Perennial

Width

-

60

cm

Habit

Forbs

Spreading

Spreading

Herbaceous

Herbaceous

Rhizomatous

Rhizomatous

Ecology

Supports

Supports bees

Bees

Supports butterflies and moths

Butterflies & Moths

Supports beneficial insects

Beneficial insects

Providing

Provides pollen source

Pollen source

Provides nectar source

Nectar source

This low-growing aster, like all asters, is a high value late-season plant for many pollinators and beneficial insects. 

Habitat

Typically found in

riparian, open woods, thickets, mountain meadows, meadows, sand dunes

This circumpolar aster introduced itself from the Rocky Mountains into the Edmonton area. It grows widely across the northernmost regions of Canada, Europe and Asia. Found in a huge variety of habitats: open gravelly or sandy areas in boreal forest, wet meadows, open aspen and spruce woods, riparian thickets, sandy or gravelly stream flats, stream banks, lakeshores, bluffs, sand dunes, sandy places, subalpine and mountain meadows.

In the Garden

Growing Conditions

Moisture

Dry conditions

Dry

Average conditions

Average

Moist conditions

Moist

Light

Full sun

Full sun

Soil

Average garden soil, Sand, Gravel, Rocky

Propagation

Via

Seeds

Seeds

Sowing Recommendations

Sow seeds in Fall

Fall planting

Landscape

Use for:

Border placement

Border

Single planting

Single planting

Mass planting

Mass planting

Growing Tips

  • Spreads slowly by rhizomes but easily controlled. 

  • Great for a rock garden or gravelly conditions, but will grow in most garden soils. 

  • Suggested spacing for planting is 30 cm. 

Description

On the small side for an aster and extremely versatile, arctic aster is an easy choice for gardens. With a lower form, it works well near the front of the bed and spreads to fill in a space over time. It grows well in dry, rocky ground and is drought tolerant once established. 

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