General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences: Wet Mesic
Mesic
Dry Mesic
Plant Height: 24 - 36 inches
Plant Spread: 12 - 18 inches
Leaves: Semi-evergreen
Fruit: Edible to birds
Fruiting Time: Late fall or early winter
Flowers: Showy
Flower Color: Blue
Lavender
White
Bloom Size: Under 1"
Flower Time: Late summer or early fall
Fall
Underground structures: Rhizome
Uses: Cut Flower
Will Naturalize
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Butterflies
Resistances: Drought tolerant
Propagation: Seeds: Sow in situ
Start indoors
Can handle transplanting
Other info: Needs no stratification. Germinates quickly.
Propagation: Other methods: Cuttings: Root
Division
Pollinators: Hoverflies
Moths and Butterflies
Flies
Bumblebees
Bees

Image
Common names
  • Smooth Blue Aster
  • Smooth Aster
  • Aster
  • Glaucous Aster
  • Michaelmas Daisy

Photo Gallery
Location: Banff, Canada | August, 2022
Date: 2022-08-01
Location: My yard in SE Nebraska
Date: 2011-09-25
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Date: 2018-10-14
Monarchs on Smooth Blue Aster, plant is 3 feet tall and 3 feet wi
Location: My yard in SE Nebraska
Date: 2011-09-25
Location: Banff, Canada | August, 2022
Date: 2022-08-01
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2012-09-16
Location: central Illinois
Date: 9-22-11
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2011-09-19
Location: National Botanical Garden (DC) | November 2022
Date: 2022-11-26
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2010-08-16
Comments:
  • Posted by Catmint20906 (PNW WA half hour south of Olympia - Zone 8a) on Aug 1, 2014 7:05 PM concerning plant:
    According to NPIN, Symphyotrichum laeve has special value to native bees.
  • Posted by Cyclaminist (Minneapolis, Minnesota - Zone 5a) on May 16, 2016 8:25 AM concerning plant:
    A great shorter aster for sun. It spreads by short rhizomes if there's any space available, and forms dense clumps. The stems are very stiff and strong and stand up well.

    It's very, very easy to grow from seed. It's kind of annoying, because every spring hundreds of seedlings come up in any bare soil in the neighborhood of last year's flowers. They're tough, and they will survive unless you kill them. Impossible to deadhead because the flowering season is long, and new flowers are opening while older flowers are releasing their seeds.

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