Despite its common name, the flowers of Sky Blue Aster are more lavender than blue. But this Aster puts on a brilliant show in fall, each plant covered with hundreds of beautiful blooms. Growing well in almost any soil, from dry sand to moist loam, it attracts butterflies and bees. Firewise.
Snow Flurry is a fall-blooming Aster that creates low-growing dense ground cover carpeted with tiny white flowers in September and October. A good strong grower and a totally new look and use for Asters! Makes an excellent container plant. Cut back in spring. Attracts native bees, honeybees and butterflies. Firewise.
Aromatic Aster is an exceptionally vigorous spreading groundcover. In late fall it bursts into bloom with myriad pink flowers, which provide nectar and pollen for a variety of bees and butterflies. Firewise.
A dense mound of foliage spreading gradually by root and exploding with purple blossoms in fall. Attracts bees and butterflies.
False Aster is a vigorous perennial that comes back from its roots every year to produce a cloud of white blossoms in late fall. Hundreds of white, aster-like flowers provide late season food for bees. Does not spread readily by seed.
Fast growing upright deciduous shrubby perennial with silvery foliage and lush fall display of delicate blue flowers. Bees love it! Firewise.
The red tubular flowers are a magnet for Hummers in the late summer and early autumn, as these tiny birds prepare for their annual migration. Adaptable to many soil types and low water, Hummingbird Trumpet provides a spectacular splash of color in the late season garden.
This is a miniature European version of our beautiful native Fireweed. We have been reluctant to offer Fireweed itself as it can be very invasive. Alpine Willowherb is much smaller and promises to be better behaved in the garden. Supports honeybees.
Cutleaf Daisy is a vigorous, long-blooming native Fleabane with dissected leaves and bundles of charming white flowers. Excellent for rock gardens or exposed slopes with good drainage.
The largest of our Buckwheats, Lacy Buckwheat is an amazing fall bloomer. It forms large domes of finely divided woody branches that are covered with tiny white flowers Sep-Oct. Stunning! Supports honeybees and native bees. Prefers sandy/gravely soils and will tolerate poor soils. More information here.
This small Idaho native is covered with hundreds of pinkish white flowers in late summer or early fall. Gorgeous rock garden plant.
Strict Buckwheat has gorgeous sprays of pinkish-white flowers that glow in the late summer/early autumn garden. Supports native bees and is a late season nectar source for honeybees. Boise foothills native. More information here.
Gaura has long graceful spikes of pinkish or white blooms float on the breeze from mid-summer to fall. Long-blooming, dramatic, easy.
Maximilian’s Sunflower is a vigorous perennial sunflower that comes back from roots every spring and grows to 5 or 6 feet. In late summer a profusion of smallish sunflowers, cover the upright stalks. Excellent fall interest, great along fences. Late season nectar source for bees and butterflies.
Hoary Aster: The big purple daisies of this fall-blooming biennial light up the Boise foothills in fall. In the garden, the plants will flower vigorously, then self-sow and reappear the following year. Pollinators: bees, butterflies.
Azure Blue Sage is a tall, late-blooming Salvia. Brilliant blue tubular flowers on slender, arching stems provide dramatic late- season color in the garden. Disappears in winter and comes booming back from the roots in spring. Great late-season food source for bumble bees, honey bees, butterflies and hummingbirds! Tolerates clay. Firewise. More information here.
This large, mounding sedum blooms pink in the fall. Earlier in the summer, its handsome mound of succulent leaves is a great addition to any xeriscape. Firewise.