Aromatic Aster 'Raydon's Favorite'
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'Raydon's Favorite'
Saturated violet-blue bloom into late October, a landing strip for migrating monarchs. Self-supporting, drought-tolerant, and problem-free in sun.
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
Our most-recommended fall aster. compact, self-supporting, intensely fragrant, and a butterfly magnet from September through frost.
'Raydon's Favorite' is the most widely recommended cultivar of Aromatic Aster, selected for more compact, self-supporting growth, more saturated blue-violet flower color, and slightly later bloom timing that extends the fall season into late October. Rub a leaf and you'll get the same pleasant resinous fragrance that gives this species its common name, a fragrance that carries in the autumn air on warm afternoons when the flowers are fully open. In late September and October this plant becomes a butterfly landing strip. Monarchs on migration, painted ladies, sulphurs, and an enormous cast of native bees work the flowers every warm afternoon until the temperature drops. It stays mounded and self-supporting without staking, tolerates drought and lean soil, and is essentially problem-free in full sun. One of the plants we recommend most consistently for any new native garden.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown aromatic aster 'raydon's favorite' 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
- 2–2.5 ft · 24–36 in wide
- Bloom time
- September–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 'raydon's favorite'.
Plant in full sun in average to dry, well-drained soil. Cut back by one-third in late May for optimal compact form and to prevent the slight flopping that can occur in rich soil. Very drought-tolerant once established. Divide every 3-4 years in spring. Fragrant foliage deters deer. One of the easiest and most rewarding native asters to grow.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside aromatic aster 'raydon's favorite'.
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
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
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’.