tansy-leaf aster
Machaeranthera tanacetifolia
RHS Plants for Pollinators
USDA zones7 to 9
SunHandles full sun to partial shade
WaterHandles dry to moist soil
Size12 to 24 inches tall
- Habit
- Herb
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn
- Bloom color
- Purple
- Foliage color
- Green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Tansy-leaf aster (Machaeranthera tanacetifolia) is an annual for pollinator gardens, rock gardens, and meadows. This plant likes full sun to part shade and dry to moist, sandy, loamy, or clay soil. Bright purple rays surround a yellow center on branched stems with fern-like leaves. Plants often form clumps or mounds. Butterflies and bees visit the flowers. You can tuck it between flagstones or sow it on a rocky slope.
Pairs well with Gaura, California poppy, Purple top, and Creeping phlox.
Native range
North America.