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Symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'October Skies' and 'Raydon's Favorite'
Aromatic Aster, Aromatic American Aster, Fall Aster, Wild Blue Aster, Shale Aster

Aromatic Aster is a tried and true source of stunning blue color in the late season perennial garden, where it is seen to play dramatically against rich fall yellows and golds and oranges. It is shrub-like and bushy, compact, reaching 1-2+ feet and usually totally covered in blooms for up to 2 months if grown in the full sun. Flowers are daisy-like, lavender to deep blue with yellow centers turning reddish purple with time. Aromatic Aster is reported in only one county in NC, up in the mountains. It is much more common in the midwest, between the Rockies and the Appalachians, where it found in mesic to dry gravel prairies, dolomite prairies and limestone glades. Hence, it is happiest in well drained soils and can tolerate lean soils and a wide pH range. It is its most spectacular in full sun. It is easy to grow; indeed, it should be cut back early in the season to control its height, as well as just after flowering to control its seed dispersal, and runners will also produce offspring if not deterred (all the more for your friends). This plant will reward gardeners by drawing a very large number of pollinators to its dramatic late-season display. The USDA plant distribution map linked below is for the species.

‘October Skies’ and ‘Raydon’s Favorite’ are two super-showy cultivars of Aromatic Aster that have proven rewarding in the garden. Although the precise bloom time depends on location and weather, a Chicago Botanic Garden study found ‘Raydon’ bloom period to be a bit longer (early August to early November) than that of ‘October Skies’ (early August to late October). The same study listed flower coverage of ‘Raydon’ slightly greater – “excellent” for ‘Raydon’ vs. “good” for ‘October Skies’. ‘October Skies’ is a little shorter than ‘Raydon’ (on the order of 18 inches vs. 24 to 30 inches for ‘Raydon’) and the flower color, on a scale from cornflower blue to lavender, is more blue than that of  ‘Raydon’. Both make outstanding late fall statements in the garden. The large number of pollinators (butterflies, bees and other beneficials) attracted to these plants adds to the joy of the garden community. Interestingly, the Chicago Botanic Garden is sponsoring a citizen science study comparing the cultivars to the species with respect to their attractiveness to pollinators! Interested? See Budburst.org, Nativar Research Project!

Last Updated: June 6, 2019

Key Info

Scientific Name: Symphyotrichum oblongifolium (Nutt.) G.L. Nesom cv. 'October Skies' and 'Raydon's Favorite'
Common Names: Aromatic Aster, Aromatic American Aster, Fall Aster, Wild Blue Aster, Shale Aster
Family Name: Asteraceae (Composite, or Daisy Family)
Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
Uses: Perennial Border, Butterfly garden, Groundcover
Light Requirement: Full sun, Partial/sunny, Partial/shady
Moisture Requirement: Dry, Medium, Moist well drained
Bloom Times: Sep, Oct, Nov
Flower Color: Lavender, Blue
Special Characteristics: Attracts bees, Attracts butterflies, Leaves fragrant, Tolerates dry conditions, Persistent basal rosette, Soil adaptable, Tolerates heat, Good cut flower

Additional Info

Habit: A short, mounded perennial with stiff, much branched stems and a bushy appearance which grows vigorously laterally. The main stem becomes woody as the season progresses. It has a persistent basal rosette, and the root system is fibrous and rhizomatous. Older plants often have a short caudex.
Height: 1' - 2'
Spread: 4'
Soil Conditions: Average to dry, well drained, circumneutral pH, sandy, loam, rocky, clay.
Leaves: The alternate leaves are simple, sessile, linear to oblong, 1 - 2 inches long x ½ inch wide, with tiny hairs on the margins, smaller and more densely spaced towards the top, and fragrant when crushed.
Flowers (or reproductive structures): The flowers are daisy-like, about 1–1¼ inches across. Each flower consists of 20-35 blue-violet or purple linear ray florets surrounding disk florets that are yellow or amber, turning to reddish purple. The flowers are subtended by linear bracts that resemble the upper leaves, more prominent than the phyllaries on the base of the flower head. The blooming period occurs during the fall and lasts about 1-2 months;
Fruit: Disk florets develop into achenes with small tufts of light brown hair to aid in wind dispersal.
Natural Distribution: For the species, dry, open meadows, prairies, upland savannas
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 8
USDA Wetland Indicator Status in NC: Not available
Pollination: Long tongued bees, short tongued bees, butterflies and skippers.
Wildlife Connections: Many insects visit the flowers, especially all kinds of bees, and including smallish butterflies and skippers. Moth and butterfly larvae also feed on the leaves. Wild Turkeys and possibly other upland gamebirds eat the seeds and foliage to a limited extent. Mammalian herbivores occasionally eat the foliage of asters, even though their food value is low (Illinoiswildflower.org).
Cultural Notes: If looking to use in a naturalized or low maintenance area, poor, rocky, lean soil is preferred. In more favorable habitats, taller more aggressive plants may out-compete it.
Downside: This is an aggressive plant which will require active measures to control it in the garden: cutting back in early summer to control height, removal of root sprouts, deadheading to control seeding out. But it is gorgeous and worth the trouble.
Propagation: Propagated by seed (for the species; seeds of cultivars will not be true), by division in spring, by taking plantlets arising from stolons, or by softwood cuttings in late spring.
USDA/NRCS Plant Distribution Map: View Map at USDA.gov

Availability

Available: Quarts, $10

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Cure Nursery is a small nursery propagating and selling native plants for the Southeastern U.S. We are located near the town of Pittsboro, Chatham County, in central NC.

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