Species smooth aster
light-purple flowers with yellow-brown stamens and green foliage

smooth aster

Symphyotrichum laeve 'Bluebird'

Smooth aster (Symphyotrichum laeve 'Bluebird') is a perennial flower native to North America. It grows between two to three feet tall, and features daisy-like flowers of deep purple, pink, or white blooms on thin stems. The ray flowers are exceptionally delicate with smooth, fringed tips, and the center of the flower is composed of tightly packed yellow disc florets. The evergreen foliage has a glossy sheen and is shades of grey-green. Smooth aster is tolerant of a wide range of soil types, and prefers full sun or partial shade. It is an excellent choice to provide late season color to garden beds and container gardens.

Cycle:

Herbaceous Perennial

Watering:

Minimum

Propagation:

Division,Cutting,Layering Propagation,Seed Propagation,Grafting Propagation

Hardiness Zone:

4 - 8

Flowers:

Violet blue rays with yellow center Flowers

Sun:

Full sun

Leaf:

Yes

Leaf Color:

green

Growth Rate:

Low

Maintenance:

Low

Drought Tolerant:

Yes

Salt Tolerant:

Yes

Care Level:

Medium

watering

Smooth Aster does best when watered deeply but infrequently. Water in the morning so that the foliage has time to dry out during the day to reduce the risk of diseases. Water this plant when the top inch of soil becomes dry, and water until the soil is completely saturated. It's important to not over-water - saturating the soil and then allowing it to dry out completely will help promote healthy root growth. During the hottest summer months, water 1-2 times a week. In cooler months, watering every 10-14 days should suffice.

sunlight

Smooth aster (Symphyotrichum laeve 'Bluebird') plants prefer a full sun to partial shade environment when planted outdoors. For best results, this plant species should be planted in a location that receives 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily. This plant species tends to thrive in hot climates, so giving it direct sunlight in the morning and late afternoon is ideal. Sunlight will help to encourage the growth of strong, blooming flowers that will light up any garden.

pruning

Smooth aster (Symphyotrichum laeve 'Bluebird') should be pruned once a year in late winter or early spring, before the plant begins to regrow. The ideal time to prune smooth aster is after it has finished blooming in the fall but before it begins actively growing in the spring. During the pruning process, remove spent flower heads and any dead, diseased, or damaged stems from the plant. Prune back vigorous stems to the desired size and shape to manage the size of the plant and keep it from becoming overly sprawling. Take care not to prune more than 1-third of the plant to avoid overly stressful pruning.

Season

Fall
Winter
Spring
Summer
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Starts Flowering

Smooth aster typically starts flowering in late summer or early fall, usually in August or September.

Starts Flowering

Smooth aster typically starts flowering in late summer or early fall, usually in August or September.

Hardiness Map