Blue Wood Aster
Symphyotrichum cordifolium
The aster for the shade garden. Airy sprays of pale blue-violet flowers in September and October, naturalizing into drifts where most asters can't grow.
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 only aster that blooms reliably in shade. essential for extending fall color and pollinator habitat beyond the sunny border.
Blue Wood Aster is the aster for the shade garden. While most asters demand full sun, Blue Wood Aster blooms reliably in part to nearly full shade, producing loose, airy sprays of pale blue-violet to nearly white flowers in September and October. The flowers are small but abundant and have a natural, wildflower quality that suits woodland and shade gardens better than the bolder asters of the sunny border. The heart-shaped basal leaves are distinctive and attractive from spring through fall. In dappled shade this aster spreads gently and self-sows to naturalize into informal drifts that feel like they've always been there. It's a key plant for extending fall color and pollinator habitat into parts of the garden that most native plants can't reach. Pair it with ferns and arisaema for a classic eastern woodland fall combination.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown blue wood aster 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
- Part sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 2–4 ft · 24–36 in wide
- Bloom time
- Fall
- Bloom color
- Blue
- USDA zones
- 3–8
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Native range
- Eastern North America, from Quebec south to Georgia, west to Kansas
Care notes for blue wood aster.
Plant in part shade to light shade in moist, well-drained soil. Tolerates drier shade once established. Allow to self-sow and naturalize in suitable areas. Thin seedlings as needed. Divide every 3-4 years in spring. Cut back in late fall or early spring. Does not perform as well in deep, dry shade.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside blue wood aster.
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’.