Smooth aster is a great drought tolerant variety of aster. It also will tolerate shade. Asters are a top keystone species perennial and host beneficial larvae. They attract and feed many pollinators, especially butterflies and bees, making them a pollinator powerhouse. They are a very important late season pollinator plant. Not only are they blooming for the insects late, but it makes for a gorgeous contrast against native fall bronze grasses, yellow goldenrod, and milkweed seed heads. Asters should be planted everywhere, in gardens, meadows, roadsides, groundcovers, ect.., especially because they are NOT deer resistant and they need our help as much as we need theirs.