Oregon · Washington · Idaho
When to plant Douglas aster
Plant in the garden: Portland and Seattle Mar 1 – Apr 26; Spokane Apr 1 – May 27; Boise Mar 20 – May 15; Bend Apr 28 – Jun 23.
Your dates in
Douglas aster is a native perennial in the daisy family, 2 to 4 feet tall, named for the botanist David Douglas. It grows wild in wet meadows, along streams and near the coast.
Puts Douglas aster on your free plan, with dates for your town and a spot in your beds.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Spacing
- 18 to 24 inches apart
- Planting depth
- Same depth as in the pot or nursery
- Frost
- Hardy perennial; comes back every year
- First harvest
- Blooms from mid to late summer
A late-summer native aster with lavender daisies that feed bees and butterflies when little else is blooming. It spreads by underground stems and likes moist soil, so it suits rain gardens and meadows west of the Cascades.
Douglas aster planting dates
| Towns | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|
| Portland, OR, Seattle and Tacoma, WA | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
| Spokane, WA | Apr 1 – May 27 |
| Boise and Meridian, ID | Mar 20 – May 15 |
| Bend and Redmond, OR | Apr 28 – Jun 23 |
| Astoria, OR | Mar 25 – May 20 |
Dates for six main cities. For any of the other 80 towns, type it in the box at the top of the page or browse all towns.
| Gresham, OR, Oregon City and West Linn, OR, Portland, OR, St. Helens and Scappoose, OR, Wilsonville and Canby, OR | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
|---|---|
| Hillsboro and Beaverton, OR | Mar 5 – Apr 30 |
| Corvallis and Albany, OR, Eugene, OR, Salem, OR | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
|---|---|
| Cottage Grove, OR | Mar 13 – May 8 |
| McMinnville and Newberg, OR | Mar 4 – Apr 29 |
| Ashland and Talent, OR | Mar 25 – May 20 |
|---|---|
| Grants Pass, OR, Medford, OR, Roseburg, OR | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
| Astoria, OR, Brookings and Gold Beach, OR, Coos Bay and North Bend, OR, Newport and Lincoln City, OR, Tillamook, OR | Mar 25 – May 20 |
|---|
| Bend and Redmond, OR, Klamath Falls, OR | Apr 28 – Jun 23 |
|---|---|
| Burns, OR | Apr 30 – Jun 25 |
| Lakeview, OR | Apr 23 – Jun 18 |
| Madras, OR, Prineville, OR | Apr 20 – Jun 15 |
| Baker City, OR, Enterprise and Joseph, OR, John Day, OR | Apr 20 – Jun 15 |
|---|---|
| Hermiston, OR, Hood River, OR, Ontario, OR, Pendleton, OR, The Dalles, OR | Mar 20 – May 15 |
| La Grande, OR | Apr 1 – May 27 |
| Bremerton and Port Orchard, WA, Everett, WA, Kent, Renton and Auburn, WA, Seattle and Tacoma, WA | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
|---|---|
| Olympia, WA | Mar 18 – May 13 |
| Shelton, WA | Mar 16 – May 11 |
| Anacortes, WA, Bellingham, WA, Friday Harbor and the San Juans, WA, Mount Vernon and Burlington, WA, Oak Harbor and Whidbey Island, WA | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
|---|
| Aberdeen and Hoquiam, WA, Forks, WA, Long Beach and Ilwaco, WA | Mar 25 – May 20 |
|---|---|
| Port Angeles, WA, Port Townsend, WA | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
| Sequim, WA | Mar 10 – May 5 |
| Centralia and Chehalis, WA | Mar 11 – May 6 |
|---|---|
| Longview and Kelso, WA, Vancouver, WA | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
| Chelan, WA, Wenatchee, WA | Mar 20 – May 15 |
|---|---|
| Leavenworth, WA, Omak and Okanogan, WA | Apr 1 – May 27 |
| Winthrop and Twisp, WA | Apr 3 – May 29 |
| Ellensburg, WA | Apr 1 – May 27 |
|---|---|
| Ephrata and Quincy, WA, Moses Lake, WA, Sunnyside, Grandview and Prosser, WA, Tri-Cities (Pasco, Kennewick, Richland), WA, Walla Walla, WA | Mar 20 – May 15 |
| Goldendale, WA | Apr 7 – Jun 2 |
| Yakima, WA | Mar 27 – May 22 |
| Colville, WA, Pullman, WA, Spokane, WA | Apr 1 – May 27 |
|---|
| Bonners Ferry, ID, Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls, ID, Sandpoint, ID | Apr 1 – May 27 |
|---|
| Lewiston, ID | Mar 20 – May 15 |
|---|---|
| Moscow, ID | Apr 1 – May 27 |
| Boise and Meridian, ID, Emmett, ID, Nampa and Caldwell, ID | Mar 20 – May 15 |
|---|---|
| McCall, ID | May 11 – Jul 6 |
| Burley and Rupert, ID, Idaho Falls, ID, Pocatello, ID, Rexburg, ID, Twin Falls, ID | Apr 1 – May 27 |
|---|---|
| Salmon, ID | Apr 20 – Jun 15 |
Douglas aster year at a glance
| Task | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant | Mar | Apr | ||||||||||
| In bloom | Jul | Aug | Sep |
Around Portland. Colder towns, especially east of the Cascades, run a few weeks later; the table above has your town's planting dates.
How to grow Douglas aster
- Pick a sunny spot with moist soil, such as a rain garden, meadow or low area.
- Plant Douglas aster plants on your city's dates, 18 to 24 inches apart. Same depth as in the pot or nursery.
- Water through the first summer. Cut stems back by a third in early June for bushier plants that don't flop.
- Harvest: Enjoy the flowers in the garden through late summer and fall. Leave the seed heads for finches and cut stems back in late winter.
Growing Douglas aster in your part of the Northwest
The same plant behaves differently on the wet west side, the foggy coast and the dry, colder east side.
West-side valleys
Willamette Valley, Puget Sound, southern Oregon
Douglas aster is native to moist west-side meadows and stream banks and blooms in late summer when little else does. It spreads, so give it room.
More Douglas aster varieties
More widely sold picks that do well somewhere in the Northwest. The tag says which part of the Northwest suits each one best.
Douglas aster
Sold as the wild species by native plant nurseries. Lavender daisies late in the season for bees and butterflies.
West side
How much to grow
How many to plant
Plant 3 or more, about 2 feet apart. It spreads into a clump.
Key numbers
- West sideNative range
- July–SeptemberBloom
- 2–4 ftHeight
- MoistSoil
Top care tip: Water during long dry spells to keep powdery mildew away late in summer.
Growing notes
What makes the difference in Northwest gardens, in plain language.
Late-season food for pollinators
Douglas aster has lavender to blue-violet daisies with yellow centers from midsummer into early fall. That's when many gardens slow down, so it's a valuable source of nectar for bees, butterflies and other pollinators.
It grows wild in moist meadows, along streams and in coastal areas west of the Cascades.
Planting
Plant in full sun to part shade in moist soil. It suits rain gardens, low spots and meadow plantings, and it tolerates heavy soil.
It spreads by underground stems into a patch. That's great in a meadow or a big bed, but dig out runners where you don't want them.
Care
Water through the first summer, and in long dry spells after that. Dry soil invites powdery mildew late in the summer.
Cutting stems back by about a third in early June makes shorter, bushier plants that flop less. Leave seed heads standing for finches and cut stems down in late winter.
Good neighbors
Grows well with
- Camas. The same moist soil, and it blooms after camas fades.
- Pacific ninebark. Another native for wet ground.
Pests and problems
What most often goes wrong with Douglas aster in Northwest gardens, how to spot it and what to do.
Powdery mildew
Signs: White coating on leaves in dry late summers.
What to do: Water in long dry spells.
Spreading
Signs: Runners pop up in other beds.
What to do: Dig out runners in spring.
Flopping
Signs: Stems lean in fall.
What to do: Cut back by a third in early June for sturdier stems.
Common questions about growing Douglas aster
When should I plant Douglas aster in Oregon, Washington and Idaho?
Plant in the garden: Mar 1 – Apr 26 in Portland and Seattle, Apr 1 – May 27 in Spokane, Mar 20 – May 15 in Boise and Apr 28 – Jun 23 in Bend. Pick your town at the top of the page for your own dates.
When does Douglas aster bloom?
From midsummer into early fall, usually July through September.
Does Douglas aster spread?
Yes, by underground stems. It forms a patch over a few years.
Is Douglas aster good for a rain garden?
Yes. It likes moist soil and handles wet winters, which suits the lower zones of a rain garden.
See what else to plant in March or April.
Huckleberries
Oregon grape
Red-flowering currant
Serviceberry
Camas
Thimbleberry
Salmonberry
Salal
Kinnikinnick
Western columbine
Oregon sunshine
Pacific ninebark
Sword fern
Oregon iris