In a viral video, Sustainability Matters (@sustainabilitymattersva) shares an alternative to the popular fall mums to provide a home for crucial pollinators. Native aster plants offer the same vibrant look, add ecological benefits to the garden, and are likely to come back each fall without having to rebuy.
The scoop
Native plants have proved to help pollinators and reduce gardening work. Planting native aster to add variance to your fall garden is no exception. As beautiful as mums are as a fall flower, they don't attract massive ecological activity. In the video, the TikToker contrasts the pollinator activity between the two, revealing a flurry of insects aiding growth among the asters and none within the mums.
@sustainabilitymattersva Skip the mums, and plant some native aster this fall 🌼🍁 Asters are just as beautiful, bloom for around the same amount of time, and offer crucial ecological benefits like food and habitat for pollinators🐝 Plus, unlike mums, which you will most likely have to rebuy each year, asters tend to be successful perennials, so they should come back year after year🍂 #nativeplants #aster #mums #fallgardening #falldecorations #plantforpollinators ♬ original sound - Sustainability Matters
"Just take a look at the difference in pollinator activity between these yellow mums versus native New York aster," they said.
Asters are also perennial plants, so the likelihood of them sprouting back each fall is high, unlike mums — which most often grow like annuals.
How it's helping
Maintaining a garden has numerous benefits for yourself and the environment. Beyond just the financial benefits that can save you hundreds of dollars on food, one could also improve their mental health and promote a healthier, more active lifestyle when gardening.
Replacing costly annual flowers with perennial asters could further build a foundation for ecological life to flourish. Growing native plants also reduces the chance of invasive plants infiltrating your garden, allowing you to maintain the look of your garden and continue to cultivate the natural ecosystem.
What people are saying
One person who still appreciates the beauty of both plants suggested a solution to those hesitant to make the switch: "Mums are lovely [but they] aren't native (and definitely not keystone). What if you did a combo? I have some yellow mums mixed in with my woods aster and it's SO pretty together."
This way, you can still foster a natural ecosystem while keeping mums within sight.
Another TikToker gave even more insight into the aster, as they explained that planting them with goldenrod would get even better results. According to them, goldenrod is also "highly medicinal and makes a lovely tea called blue mountain tea."
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