Amazing Asters: Feeding Pollinators into the Fall

Last fall, the asters I had planted the year before bloomed incredibly well. The handful of plants I'd started with were open for most of October. So I thought I'd take a moment to share why asters are a vital part of any native plant landscaping.

Like other native plants, they are pretty easy to grow. They are also relatively easy to find. I've seen both New England and Sky Blue Asters at nurseries. I've chosen New England Asters for my yard.

The bright purple flowers add some perk to the Wisconsin fall. In addition they have been very successful at attracting pollinators (and rabbits too). This past October, I photographed bees and butterflies coming to snack on the asters. I've shared these pictures below. These flowers are a critical part of the food web for native pollinators. Many flowering plants in the upper Midwest peek during the warmest, sunniest months from June through August. A good strategy for maximizing both your support for pollinators as well as to maximize your bloom time is plant a variety of species which flower throughout the year from as early in spring as we can muster to as late in fall. Asters are a great addition in support of these goals.

Bees in the asters.


And more bees


A monarch in October? Can you find it?


Still working on butterfly ids, not sure what this one is.

Yellow and Orange Bugs in my Wildflowers

For the last two summers my wildflowers have been covered in some brightly colored insects. One is orange and found mostly on my Butterfly Milkweed. The other is yellow and found mostly on my Black Eyed Susans and Prairie Coneflower. I don't do anything to control either.

The orange bug is Milkweed Bug. It shows up about the time my Milkweed of seed pods and covers the seed pods almost entirely. The bug is interested in eating the nutrients stored in the seeds. No apparent damage is done to the plants themselves although this may prevent them from spreading. I'm not particular concerned by this as my garden is quite full, and my existing plants have come back each year. I haven't observed any birds eating them and suspect that may not much of in the way of natural predator. Much the like monarchs, they essentially become inedible as they store toxins from the milkweed.

My Black Eyed Susans attract a number of a yellow and black bugs most of which are bees. However some time in August, there is another yellow and black bug I find zipping around from flower to flower. The Soldier Beetle or Leatherwing Beetle seems particularly interested in my yellow flowers. After running some searches on "soldier beetle" and "Black eyed susan" it appears that these guys are feeding on the pollen. It also appears that unlike the Milkweed Bugs, the Soldier Beetles are food for predators in my backyard ecosystem, and they don't really do any damage to my plants. Perhaps they are the reason for my encounter with a Common Yellowthroat who seemed to foraging in my flowers and grasses.