Late Summer Planting of Fall-Blooming Flower Benefits Bees in Winter

For gardeners aiming to attract beneficial bees, asters are a great choice. These fall-blooming perennials feature vibrant, daisy-like flowers that provide essential late-season support for pollinators as other plants fade. While most asters lack fragrance, the aromatic aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium) is named for its stems and leaves, which emit a balsam-like scent when crushed. These hollow stems can serve as winter nesting habitats for certain bee species, making it beneficial to leave them intact after the growing season.