Aster and goldenrod a dynamic duo for pollinators
What goes together better than peanut butter and jelly? Salt and pepper? Bacon and eggs? You and your best friend?
Don't forget New England asters and yellow goldenrod! This dynamic duo is a pollinator’s paradise. But what makes these two flower friends so fantastic together?
These flowers stand out when you see them together. Why is this so? Artistically speaking, the colors of these two flowers are complementary on the color wheel.
Complementary colors are pairs of colors that sit directly opposite each other on the color wheel. Purple and gold provide a high-contrast color combination with a high impact. Together, these colors appear brighter and stand out more than they would on their own.
Not only are these flowers vibrant together in our eyes, but also in the eyes of pollinators. Bees, butterflies and other pollinators are attracted by this noticeable duo, increasing the plants' chance of being pollinated.
Words to know
Complementary: Forming a satisfactory of balanced whole. Irresistible: Enticing or tempting.
When fall turns to winter, food for our important pollinators becomes less and less plentiful. Asters and goldenrod bloom later in the growing season, when most flowers have faded. They provide an irresistible late-autumn buffet for bugs. Together, they supply pollinators with the pollen and nectar they need for survival before their long, cold winter dormancy.
The entire plants support the most species of butterflies, moths and caterpillars, according to research by entomologist Doug Tallamy. Together, goldenrod and asters create an entire community that sustains flies, beetles, hundreds of species of moths and butterflies as well as a host of other insects.
Seed-eating birds like sparrows and goldfinches utilize these plants, along with bug-eating birds who feast on the insects the plants attract. Plant-eating mammals like rabbits and white-tailed deer love chomping at their leaves.
It is easy to see that aster and goldenrod provide a great deal to the habitats they call home. As a bonus, there are many different species of both aster and goldenrod that can call plenty of different habitats their home. From neat gardens to wildflower meadows, sunny to shady, damp or dry, there is an aster-goldenrod pair that would thrive in that area.
Ensure your space has a reason for pollinators to visit long into the fall by planting the pollinator power pair of goldenrod and aster.
“Growing together, both receive more pollinator visits than they would if they were growing alone.” — author Robin Wall Kimmerer, from the book “Braiding Sweetgrass”
