What is the primary ecological benefit provided by asters blooming late in the season?
Answer
Supporting pollinators, especially butterflies, seeking late-season nectar.
Asters are valued highly by native plant enthusiasts specifically because of their flowering time. These late-season bloomers burst with color when many other flowering plants have faded, making them essential for supporting wildlife transitioning into colder months. Their critical ecological contribution lies in providing nectar sources for pollinators, most notably butterflies, right up until the time of the first frost, thereby sustaining insect populations through the end of the growing season.
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