Showy aster is a western North American native that produces large, up to three-inch violet-blue, yellow-centred flowerheads in flat-topped clusters from midsummer well into fall, offering some of the latest colour in the native perennial garden. It naturally occurs in open or lightly wooded sites and tolerates both moist and fairly dry conditions once established, making it adaptable to a range of garden situations. Its late-season nectar is an important resource for bees and butterflies preparing for winter.