Asters carry clusters of small violet-blue daisies with yellow centers over compact, mounding plants about a foot tall and wide. Butterflies and native bees crowd the blooms, and the clean flower color mixes easily with nearly everything else in a sunny border.

Plant them in full sun and well-drained soil; asters resent wet feet more than they mind drought. Pinch or shear the plants back by a third in early summer for denser mounds with more flowers. Once established they tolerate dry spells, rocky ground, and browsing deer.