Audubon® Native Smooth Aster
Bower & Branch Trees and Plants
Audubon® Plants for Birds: Aster laevis
Regular priceThis plant is not available at this time through Bower & Branch. We provide this plant profile for reference only.
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A FALL BLOOMING NATIVE GEM THAT INFUSES CHEERFUL LAVENDER HUES IN THE LANDSCAPE
FEATURES:
May Benefit & Attract: Wood warblers, finches, sparrows, juncos, wrens, grouse, and turkeys
- In late summer to early fall, when other perennials have begun to fade away for the year, the Smooth Aster bursts open with lavender-blue blooms with a cheerful yellow center
- Late season blooms attract countless bees and butterflies to your garden
- In late fall into early winter, the seeds serve as a snack for sparrows, juncos, and finches
- Smooth, blueish-green foliage holds its color all season long
- A host plant for the Pearl Crescent Butterfly
- This bird-friendly native plant provides food and shelter for local and migrating birds and other wildlife
- All Audubon® branded trees and plants are grown 100% Neonic-free by Bower & Branch, making these trees safer for the birds and safer for the environment
- The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow
- Hand Selected, Fresh from the Grower
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Growth Facts
- Hardiness Zone: 4-7
- Mature Height: 2-3' tall
- Mature Width: 2-4' wide
- Exposure: Full Sun
- Spacing: 2-4' apart
Why plant Audubon® Native Smooth Aster?
A bountiful, breathtaking Spirit that’s smothered in soft lavender-blue blossoms each fall! Smooth Aster’s cheery flowers attract countless bees, butterflies, and other pollinators to your garden. At the same time, the foliage feeds many types of caterpillars and other insects, which in turn sustain bug-eating birds such as wrens and warblers. And, its seeds serve as a late-season treat for sparrows, juncos, and finches; in rural areas, Ruffed Grouse and turkeys may partake as well. You’d want this wonderful native in your garden purely for the beauty of its flowers, but in fact, Smooth Aster offers so much more!
There are many, many species of Asters found around the world. They play important roles in the ecosystems they inhabit, providing substance to insects, birds, and small mammals. Quite a few Aster species are native to North America, like this one. Smooth Aster brightens prairies, open woods, and country roadsides over much of the U.S. and into Canada. Often found in rocky sites, it appreciates good drainage and is fairly drought tolerant once established. You really can’t go wrong with native Asters in the wildlife-friendly garden, and Smooth Aster is one of the best!
How to use Audubon® Native Smooth Aster in the landscape?
Smooth Aster is one Aster species that is preferred as a host plant by the Pearl Crescent butterfly. This sweet little orange, black, and cream butterfly is a familiar sight in the garden whenever its favorite plants are around!
Planting Zones
Hardiness Zone: 4-7
How To Plant Audubon® Native Smooth Aster
Smooth Aster will look its best when a few simple practices are followed. First, be sure to plant it in full sun, in an open space with good air flow, and water it well during dry spells. These things will keep leaf diseases like powdery mildew at bay. Second, cut plants down by half when they reach one to two feet tall. This will produce a bushier plant that is less apt to flop later on. And finally, divide your Asters in spring if performance starts to decline. Just dig up chunks and replant, discarding any weak or woody sections. Cut spend plants to the ground in late winter or early spring.
How To Water
Water twice weekly for the first 3-5 weeks; then water weekly for the remainder of the year until winter. When you water, water slowly and thoroughly. Watering needs may be altered due to extreme weather conditions.
How To Fertilize
Incorporate Elements Starter Plant food granular form into the soil when planting. If planting in spring or summer start fertilizing late fall using Elements Starter Plant food granular form on an annual basis each late year. Continue this for three years to get your plant well established.
How To Prune
Each fall, just before winter sets in clean up the previous years foliage and compost it. Be sure your perennials are mulched well for winter protection. Two inches of an organic mulch will do the job. Consider leaving the plant debris in place through the winter and doing your clean up on the weather warms in the spring. While it doesn't make things neat and tidy, the debris provides overwintering protection for insects, their eggs and pupae including our native Viceroy butterfly.