Symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'Raydon's Favorite' - Aromatic Aster cultivar

Sizes available: Landscape plug, (available 6/4/26), 6.00 each or 10 for 48.00, pre-orders welcome, mix and match okay

Basics: zones 3-8, 24-36" x 18-24", full sun, late summer to early fall blooms of lavender-blue with a yellow center, drought tolerant once established, may prefer limestone, but adaptable.

Common names: Aromatic Aster cultivar - the species is also called Shale Aster, Fall Aster, Wild Blue Aster, and Aromatic American Aster

Family: Asteraceae

Origin/Distribution: This cultivar was selected by horticulturalist Raydon Alexander. He noticed the attributes of prolific bloom and compact stature in a wild population of Aromatic Aster and introduced it into cultivation in the 1980s with the help of Allen Bush, who commercially propagated it and popularized it through his nursery, Holbrook Farm. It was named Plant of the Year by The Garden Club of America in 2016. The native range of the species is Pennsylvania south to North Carolina and west to the northeastern parts of Texas and West Virginia and continues south to northeastern Mexico.

Habitat: The wild species is found on well drained plateaus and lower plains, in many soil types. May prefer limestone.

More: I chose to offer this cultivar because of its bushy form and prolific flowering. Our taller asters work well in certain types of gardens and we do have some drought tolerant species. However, this selection has the potential to fill in a shape and height gap and exhibits the adaptability as to drought that I find useful in my garden and you might in yours. Imagine it in concert with the buttery yellow foliage of an Amsonia and the hearty leaves and blooms of a tall sedum like 'Autumn Joy' and some of our less thirsty grasses, like Purple Love Grass and Little Bluestem. Now that is a long-lasting picture of fall loveliness. Plus, it is a pollinator magnet.

Nursery: Landscape plugs from New Moon Nursery

Image credits: image courtesy of New Moon Nursery