Symphyotrichum laeve
Symphyotrichum laeve | smooth blue aster
Smooth blue aster blooms late in the season, typically until frost. Flowers are lavender-blue with yellow centers. This species gets its common name because its foliage lacks the fine leaf hairs common to asters. This trait unfortunately makes it slightly more appealing to deer and rabbits than many of its aster relatives, but it spreads slowly and persists for many years, making it a quite a useful aster for small gardens.
Symphyotrichum laeve | smooth blue aster
Smooth blue aster blooms late in the season, typically until frost. Flowers are lavender-blue with yellow centers. This species gets its common name because its foliage lacks the fine leaf hairs common to asters. This trait unfortunately makes it slightly more appealing to deer and rabbits than many of its aster relatives, but it spreads slowly and persists for many years, making it a quite a useful aster for small gardens.
Symphyotrichum laeve | smooth blue aster
Smooth blue aster blooms late in the season, typically until frost. Flowers are lavender-blue with yellow centers. This species gets its common name because its foliage lacks the fine leaf hairs common to asters. This trait unfortunately makes it slightly more appealing to deer and rabbits than many of its aster relatives, but it spreads slowly and persists for many years, making it a quite a useful aster for small gardens.
HABIT
Height: 3-4’
Bloom Time: mid-summer to fall
SITE CONDITIONS
Light: full sun, part shade
Soil: medium-wet, average, medium-dry
CULTIVATION TIPS
Establishment: spreads slowly, but long-lasting and not as aggressive as other native asters
Deer Resistance: moderate
INTERACTIONS
Pollinator Support: very high
Other: host plant for silvery checkerspot butterfly, pearl crescent butterfly
CONSERVATION
Native Range: local ecotype
Seed Origin: New York