Stokes' Aster 'Blue Danube'
Stokesia laevis 'Blue Danube'
Clear blue-lavender fringed flowers up to four inches across, June through August. Reblooms readily and holds well as a cut flower.
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
True blue summer flowers on a compact, deer-resistant, reblooming native. this combination is nearly impossible to find in a summer perennial.
'Blue Danube' is the most popular cultivar of native Stokes' aster, and for good reason: the flowers are a true, clear blue-lavender with finely fringed petals that give each bloom an almost feathery quality up close. They're large for a front-of-border plant, two to four inches across, and they appear from June through August on compact, well-behaved mounds of straplike, semi-evergreen foliage. In summer, when blue flowers are scarce in the garden, this one stands out. Stokes' aster is adaptable and deer-resistant, performing well in average garden soil with reasonable drainage. The 'Blue Danube' cultivar tends to rebloom more readily than the straight species, especially if spent flowers are removed promptly. The cut flowers hold well in a vase. For borders, containers, or the front of a pollinator garden, this is one of the most dependable mid-to-late-summer natives available in the Southeast.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown stokes' aster 'blue danube' 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
- Summer through fall
- Bloom color
- Lavender, Blue
- USDA zones
- 5–9
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Native range
- Southeastern US from South Carolina to Louisiana; moist, sandy pine savannas and flatwoods
Care notes for stokes' aster 'blue danube'.
Full to part sun, average to dry well-drained soil. Good drainage is essential. wet, heavy clay will kill it over winter. Deadhead spent flowers to encourage rebloom. The rosette is semi-evergreen; remove old leaves in early spring before new growth emerges. Divide every three to four years in spring to maintain vigor. Excellent cut flower. harvest when buds are just opening.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside stokes' aster 'blue danube'.
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’.