Stokes' Aster
Stokesia laevis
Fringed lavender-blue blooms, three to four inches across, keep coming all summer with deadheading. Neat evergreen rosettes; deer leave it alone.
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
Rich lavender-blue summer flowers on a compact, deer-resistant native that works in borders, containers, and hot dry spots. few plants give this much refined color with this little trouble.
Stokes' aster opens its flowers in June and July with a lavender-blue that's unusually rich and clear for a summer native. Each 3–4 inch bloom is a complex, fringed disc with a central cluster of white florets surrounded by broad petal-like ray florets in true cornflower blue to soft lavender. The flowers keep coming all summer long, especially with regular deadheading, and the clean dark evergreen rosette stays neat and attractive even when not in bloom. It's a refined, compact perennial that sits beautifully at border edges, in containers, and in combination with other summer-blooming natives. Native bees and butterflies work the flowers constantly through the bloom period. Deer leave it almost entirely alone.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown stokes' 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
- Full sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 1–1.5 ft · 12–18 in wide
- Bloom time
- Late summer
- Bloom color
- Lavender, Blue
- USDA zones
- 5–9
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Native range
- Southeastern United States (FL, GA, LA, MS, SC, NC)
Care notes for stokes' aster.
Full sun in dry to average, well-drained sandy or loamy soil. Excellent drainage is key. will rot in wet or clay conditions. Deadhead to extend bloom period. Semi-evergreen basal rosette; clean up winter-damaged leaves in early spring. Divide every 3–4 years to maintain vigor. Container-friendly with proper drainage.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside stokes' 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
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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’.