Common Blue Wood Aster

Luscious clusters of delicate one-inch, daisy-like, periwinkle florets complemented by central amber disks characterize Common Blue Wood Aster. Reaching a maximum height and spread of 24 to 36 inches, this lovely cut-flower blooms in late summer and fall.  The blooms are accompanied by slender green foliage. This lovely herbaceous perennial provides interest whether planted in beds, borders, or containers. Feeding pollinators when many other perennials are beginning to shut down business for the year, Common Blue Wood Aster, also known as Aster cordifolius, syn. Symphyotrichum cordifolium, syn. Symphyotrichum lowrieanum, Blue Heart-leaved Aster, and Broad-leaved Aster, attracts bees and butterflies.

Cold hardy in zones 3 to 8, Common Blue Wood Aster possesses a compact, dense, and upright growth habit. Drought tolerant, this perennial can tolerate a variety of climates. Posing few worries to gardeners who lose sleep fretting about munching critters, Common Blue Wood Aster is both deer and rabbit resistant. Easy to grow and low maintenance, this North American native’s gorgeous color will put broad smiles on the faces of newbie gardeners with busy schedules as its wave of pale blue appears in late summer and continues through fall.

Image Courtesy of North Creek Nursery

Common Blue Wood Aster Care

Plant Blue Wood Aster in spring or fall. While it can tolerate full sun to partial shade, it performs best with at least 3 to 4 hours of direct sun and prefers rich, acidic soil that drains well. A good soil pH to aim for is 5.8 to 6.5. If your soil lacks nutrients, amend with peat moss/coco coir. This perennial requires about an inch of water per week. Depending on your soil fertility, feed this flowering plant a balanced fertilizer (10-10-10) one to two times per month from spring until mid-summer.

To encourage growth and deter disease, trim any damaged, dead, and/or diseased stems and foliage. Common Blue Wood Aster does not require frequent pruning; however, occasional deadheading, or removing spent blooms, will encourage continuous blooming. After the last heavy frost, you can either cut back this perennial’s foliage or let it remain. Either way, cover it with mulch/compost to protect your aster’s roots during the winter.

Common Blue Wood Aster Spacing

Common Blue Wood Aster works well in borders, beds, and slopes. Space plants approximately 24 inches apart. Plant this perennial with companion plants such as Japanese anemone, yarrow, rose, and rudbeckia. Common Blue Wood Aster can be added to containers as a filler in a thriller-spiller-filler combination.