Boltonia asteroides (Eastern Doll’s Eyes, False Aster, Thousand Flower)

Description

4′-6′ Tall Native Perennial blooms from August to October. Blooms Late September to Frost. Overwinters as a basal rosette of long bluish leaves. The flowers attract Butterflies, Various Types of Native Bees, Skippers, Moths, Beetles and  and Beneficial Insects including Wasps and Flies. . The Xerces Society ranks it especially important for Beneficial Insects.  Thick Stems make good nesting sites for Native Bees. : Seeds are eaten by birds. Native to USA AL , AR , CT , DE , FL , GA , IA , ID , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , MS , NC , ND , NE , NJ ,  OH , OK , OR , PA , RI , SC , SD , TN , TX , VA ,  , WI  Canada: MB , SK.  We propagated our initial nursery stock from native populations in the Tidal Marshes of Beaufort Co., SC. We have been growing it in the nursery for over 10 years. This is the first year that we have included it in our catalog.  They have been disease free. Plant in Full Sun to Partial Shade. Flooded to Average Soil. It is reported by wildflower.org to be highly drought resistant,.

From Illinoiswildflower.info.  Faunal Associations: The flowerheads attract many kinds of insects because their nectar and pollen are readily accessible. These insect visitors include long-tongued bees, short-tongued bees, wasps, flies, butterflies, skippers, moths, and beetles. A dagger bee, Perdita boltoniae, is an oligolege of Boltonia spp. Another bee that is somewhat oligolectic of these species is the long-horned bee, Melissodes boltoniae, which also visits the flowerheads of some Aster spp. False Aster is one of the host plants of a beetle, Microrhopala xerene, whose larvae mine the leaves. The ecological relationships of Boltonia spp. to vertebrate animals are probably similar to those of Aster spp. in wetland areas.

(Oligolectic Bees are Bees which feed mainly on particularly species)