I was reading native planting book and they defined weed as everything invasive and basically something you didn't intentionally plant. The reason I am asking, I have been pulling it extensively during this summer as I thought this is a weed plant but now I see how beautiful they are and how much the bees love them I am asking here.
by CanYouCanACanInACan
9 Comments
a weed is just a plant in a spot where you don’t want it.
so if this aster is in a place you don’t want it then it’s a weed.
edit: also this aster is native to your ecoregion so by definition can’t be invasive
Invasive is one metric. Desired is another. It’s valid for you to desire a plant. You can look up if it’s native and decide for yourself. It sounds like it wants to grow in your space and you might want it to. That’s hard to argue with.
I would consider it worth saving. It’s very popular with pollinators and serves as food source before winter. I wouldn’t call it invasive either. Some native plants just grow a lot. It doesn’t make them invasive because they aren’t invading anything (these plants originated here).
Anyway hopefully you leave some, they are really pretty and I enjoy looking at mine. They are everywhere 👀 👁 😅
Happy fall!!!
Early in the season I thought it was a weed and was going to pull it out, but the wife stopped me, saying it was an aster. So I let it go, and grumbled about how big it got with it’s not-particularly attractive foliage.
Now the thing is full of blooms and alive with pollinators. Since everything else is winding down (zone 7B NC) it looks like it’s doing a lot of good.
So I might manage it (trim it here and there), but I will definitely include it in next year’s garden.
I feel like we need an automod reply whenever anyone uses the word “weed…”
I have a few. They’re really nice this time of year, so at most I transplant them to a more desirable place. I rarely do so, though. I think of them as late season surprises.
Only invading species can be invasive. The term for unruly native species is aggressive. These are neither.
I’m 6B Ohio too. I see those all over the place especially in between Hedges and things. I just let them grow in my yard I think they look kind of cool
I keep my volunteer North American asters around wherever they pop up, bees seem to really love them, and I think the little white flowers look nice. But a “weed” is subjective, if you don’t like them then don’t feel too bad about pulling them (as long as it’s not like a protected species or something)
I am so happy with how late in the season they bloom. It’s such a great look against the Virginia creeper that is turning red.