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Smooth Blue Aster

from $5.00

(Symphyotrichum laeve)

A keystone native plant. 

Around The Wild Patch, Smooth Blue Aster always arrives just as the garden begins to soften into fall, sending up beautiful, cool blue to purplish flowers that seem to hold the last light of the season. There’s an ease to it — upright and unfussy, with smooth, silvery-green foliage that carries itself gracefully through summer before giving way to flowers. And it asks for little while offering a great deal in return. A true keystone species, we propagate it because it provides a crucial source of nectar and energy for migrating birds and butterflies preparing for their long journey south. Though Smooth Blue Aster plays such an important ecological role it brings a sense of calm and continuity to the garden — a reminder that the season isn’t ending, just shifting into something softer. 

(Note: Now accepting orders for Fall — shipping begins Sept 1 . For local customers, plants available now-Sept 30 for local pick-up. Seeds ship year-round.)

Size:

(Symphyotrichum laeve)

A keystone native plant. 

Around The Wild Patch, Smooth Blue Aster always arrives just as the garden begins to soften into fall, sending up beautiful, cool blue to purplish flowers that seem to hold the last light of the season. There’s an ease to it — upright and unfussy, with smooth, silvery-green foliage that carries itself gracefully through summer before giving way to flowers. And it asks for little while offering a great deal in return. A true keystone species, we propagate it because it provides a crucial source of nectar and energy for migrating birds and butterflies preparing for their long journey south. Though Smooth Blue Aster plays such an important ecological role it brings a sense of calm and continuity to the garden — a reminder that the season isn’t ending, just shifting into something softer. 

(Note: Now accepting orders for Fall — shipping begins Sept 1 . For local customers, plants available now-Sept 30 for local pick-up. Seeds ship year-round.)

PLANT FACTS:

Seed per packet: 750
Lifecycle: Perennial
Germination code: A
Needs cold stratification: No
Bloom time: August, September, October
Bloom color: Blue, purple
Light: Full sun - partial sun
Soil moisture:  Medium-wet to medium-dry
Soil texture: Sand, loam, clay
Soil pH: Acidic, neutral, alkaline
Height: 4’
Plant Spacing: 18-24”
USDA zones: 3-9
Deer resistance: Medium

WILDLIFE BENEFITED

• Butterflies and birds
• Host plant for Pearl Crescent butterfly caterpillars
• Important food source for migrating pollinators
• Winter seed source for songbirds

PAIRS WELL WITH:

Smooth Blue Aster looks beautiful planted in drifts or woven through a meadow. Some good native plant companions include: Bluestem Goldenrod (Solidago caesia), Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Brown-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba), Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea) and native grasses.  

GOOD TO KNOW…

  • Smooth Blue Aster is one of the easier natives to grow from seed, with consistently strong germination success.

    Germination code: A
    Days to germination: 14-21 days
    Days to maturity: 365 days (Some blooms 1st year)

    Indoors: Sow the seeds 6-8 weeks before the last frost. Sprinkle seeds on the surface and press lightly; they need light to germinate. Mist to keep soil moist but not wet, cover loosely with plastic to retain humidity until sprouts develop and provide warmth (70-75°F) for germination. Expect sprouts in 2-3 weeks. When sprouts develop, remove plastic and bottom water 1-2x per week. Once seedlings have true leaves, transplant outdoors after the last frost, spacing 18-24" apart. 

    Outdoors: Sow seeds in late fall or early spring by surface-sowing onto moist, well-draining soil, covering them with only a1/8-inch layer of soil or sand. Seeds require light to germinate. Thin seedlings to 18–24 inches apart. This native plant does not need cold stratification in order to germinate.

    Note: The Wild Patch is not responsible for buyer germination success. Liability of seller is limited to the cost of the item(s).

  • Many native plant seeds won’t sprout right away — they need certain conditions, like cold, warmth, or moisture, to break dormancy (their “sleeping” state). Germination codes are short labels (like A, B, C, etc.) that tell you what a seed needs to wake up and grow. For Smooth Blue Aster, a germination code "A" means that the seeds do not require a period of cold, moist stratification to break dormancy. 

  • It sounds harder than it is. There are two easy ways to cold stratify your seeds: 

    Method 1: Direct sow the seeds outdoors in late fall or early winter. The natural cycles of freezing and thawing will provide the necessary cold, moist stratification the seeds need and the seeds will germinate the following spring.

    Method 2: This method mimics a natural cold cycle. Just place the seeds in a plastic ziplock bag in between a damp coffee filter or with a small amount of moistened peat moss or sand. Store the bag in the refrigerator for 30+ days. Then remove and sow the seeds.