Heath Aster 'First Snow'

Heath Aster 'First Snow' (Symphyotrichum ericoides 'First snow') is the kind of perennial that really earns its place in the garden late in the season. While many summer flowers are winding down, this plant suddenly becomes covered in masses of tiny white, star-shaped blooms, creating a soft, airy effect that looks almost like a light dusting of snow. Its fine-textured foliage and naturally branching form also give it plenty of visual interest before and after flowering.

'First Snow' is especially useful in naturalistic gardens, pollinator plantings, cottage-style beds, and xeriscapes where you want something that can handle Utah's dry conditions without looking overly rugged. It pairs particularly well with ornamental grasses and other late-season perennials, and its flowers provide valuable food for pollinators when fewer plants are still blooming. Once established, it is an easygoing, low-maintenance addition that comes back reliably year after year.