Aromatic Aster

Symphyotrichum oblongifolium ‘Raydon’s Favorite’

• Height/Spread: 2–3 ft

• Bloom Time: August–October

• Light: Full sun

• Soil: Well-drained

• Wildlife: Butterfly favorite
  

‘Raydon’s Favorite’ is easy to grow in well-drained soil and full sun. Its mounded shape reaches 2–3 feet and is covered with striking violet-blue, daisy-like blooms from August to October. A native of the central and eastern U.S., it is a preferred nectar source for many butterfly species. Good perennial companions include goldenrod (Solidago) and black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia).

Aromatic Aster

Symphyotrichum oblongifolium ‘October Skies’

• Height/Spread: 1–2 ft tall, 3 ft wide

• Bloom Time: Late summer–fall

• Light: Full sun

• Soil: Well-drained

• Wildlife: Attracts bees and butterflies

‘October Skies’ is a smaller hybrid, reaching 1–2 feet tall and spreading 3 feet wide. It is a bushy, compact, mounding shrub with blue-green foliage and deep, sky-blue daisy-like flowers with yellow centers. The flower color is named for the deeper blue of the sky in October. It is a late-season nectar source for butterflies and bees, making it ideal for a pollinator garden. ‘October Skies’ thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, planted in the front-to-mid border.

Tatarian Aster

Aster tataricus ‘Jindai’

• Height/Spread: 3–4 ft tall, 2–3 ft spread

• Bloom Time: September–November

• Light: Full sun

• Soil: Lean, dry soil preferred

• Notes: Can spread aggressively

Tatarian aster is usually the latest-blooming aster of the season. Reaching 3–4 feet tall with a 2–3 foot spread, it can be aggressive but stays well-behaved in dry, lean soil. One-inch lavender-blue flowers bloom in clusters from September to November, surrounded by large, coarse leaves that take on a reddish fall color.

‘Jindai’ was discovered in Jin-Dai Botanical Gardens in Tokyo, Japan. This very drought-tolerant plant grows best in large, sunny flower beds, at a sunny woodland edge, or in a pollinator garden. Good companions include Echinacea (coneflower), Achillea (yarrow), and Yucca.

Stokes Aster

Stokesia laevis ‘Peachie’s Pick’

• Height: 12–18 in

• Bloom Time: Mid-summer to frost

• Light: Full sun

• Soil: Well-drained

• Features: Great cut flower

While Stokesia shares characteristics with other asters, it is distinguished by its large, disk-like, pincushion-shaped flowers. ‘Peachie’s Pick’ blooms are lavender-blue and last longer than those of other varieties, from mid-summer to frost.

Flower stalks reach 12–18 inches, emerging from deep green, strappy foliage. The strong stems make it desirable as a cut flower. Spent flowers can be deadheaded to encourage reblooming. ‘Peachie’s Pick’ is heat-tolerant, making it ideal for southern gardens, and is easily grown in well-drained soil.

Japanese Aster

Asteromea mongolica

• Height/Spread: ~2 ft

• Bloom Time: Summer to frost

• Light: Sun to part shade

• Soil: Adaptable, well-drained

• Features: Heat-tolerant, easy to grow

Asteromea is a tough perennial for the southern garden due to its heat tolerance, but it is equally attractive. Long-blooming, small, double white flowers cover the plant from summer to frost. It looks best mass-planted in a sunny to part-shady border, where it reaches and spreads about 2 feet. It can also be interplanted among other perennials. This low-maintenance, easy-to-grow perennial is a pleasant surprise as it ages, spreading to form a welcome and very attractive colony.