| Description | October Skies Aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolius) is a hardy perennial with blue Daisy-like flowers that bloom from late summer into the fall. |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | (sim-fy-oh-TRY-kum)(ob-long-ee-FOH-lee-um) |
| Plant Type | Perennials Hardy, Site author's observations |
| Hardiness Zone | 4 |
| Sunlight | Grows best in full sun.full |
| Moisture | Best, in average, will tolerate dry. |
| Soil & Site | Besy, in average, will tolerate dry conditions. |
| Flowers | Flowers are daisy-like, 1” across, with blue to blue-purple rays (petals), yellow center disks, and are very floriferous. Later in the fall, the flowers became consistently bluer. |
| Fruit | Achenes with small tufts of light brown hairs are distributed by the wind. Displays from October to November. |
| Leaves | toothless, oblong, blue-green |
| Dimensions | 18-24 up to 24-30 inches (HS), has a mounded growth habit, space 18-24 inches apart |
| Maintenance | Very little is needed except cutting back in the fall. |
| Propagation | Does not come true from seed. Easy to propagate by division. Also can be rooted from cuttings. |
| Cultivar Origin | Pennsylvania’s Primrose Path Nursery, 1999 |
| Misc Facts | SYN: Aster oblongifolium, Aromatic Aster, Aster October Skies |
| Author's Notes | Although this is the first year I have grown this plant (2020), I am already a believer. Beautiful mounded plants are just covered with small daisy-like blue flowers. The best thing is that it is one of the last plants to bloom in my garden. Having all that color in October is a treat. In the fall of 2020, the plants still had fresh flowers, maybe into early November. |
| Notes & Reference | #144-Missouri Botanical Gardens web site (www.missouribotanicalgarden.org), #203-North Creek Nursery (www.northcreeknurseries.com), #274-Site Authors' observations and growing experiences of this plant |
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