Aromatic Aster 'October Skies'
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'October Skies'
A compact mound covered in sky-blue flowers on crisp October days. Brush the fragrant foliage as you pass along a path or border edge.
Typically 1 pint–1 gal · $9–$30 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
The compact, front-of-border aromatic aster. sky-blue October flowers on a tidy self-supporting mound.
'October Skies' is the lower-growing companion to 'Raydon's Favorite' in the Aromatic Aster family: shorter, wider, and blooming just slightly later into autumn with clear blue-violet flowers that earn their name on crisp October days. The mounded form stays naturally compact at 18 to 24 inches, making it easier to use toward the front of a border or as a mass planting along a path or driveway where the fall display will be seen close-up. Brush the foliage as you pass and you'll get that same pleasant resinous scent that all aromatic asters carry. The flowers are lighter blue than 'Raydon's Favorite', almost sky-blue in some lights, and cover the plant completely when in peak bloom. Fall pollinators love it. It's one of the most floriferous of all the native asters and one of the most reliably self-supporting.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown aromatic aster 'october skies' propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Dry
- Mature size
- 1.5–2 ft · 24–36 in wide
- Bloom time
- October
- Bloom color
- Purple, Blue
- USDA zones
- 3–8
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Native range
- Central and eastern United States (species); cultivar selected for garden performance
Care notes for aromatic aster 'october skies'.
Plant in full sun in average to dry, well-drained soil. More compact than 'Raydon's Favorite' and may not need the mid-summer pinching, but a light haircut in late May helps. Very drought-tolerant once established. Divide every 3-4 years in spring. Fragrant foliage deters deer. Excellent front-of-border or mass planting plant for fall gardens.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside aromatic aster 'october skies'.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
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Shade Bed Package
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Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.