smooth blue aster

Symphyotrichum laeve, commonly known as smooth blue aster or smooth aster, is a perennial flowering plant. It is native to eastern and central North America. It can be found in a variety of habitats, including prairies, meadows, open woodlands, and roadsides. It prefers well-drained soils and tolerates a wide range of light conditions, from full sun to partial shade.

Smooth blue aster is often cultivated in gardens and landscapes for its aesthetic appeal and ability to attract pollinators. It is a relatively low-maintenance plant that thrives in a variety of soil types and is tolerant of drought once established. It benefits from regular watering during dry spells and may require staking if the stems become tall and floppy.

Smooth blue aster typically grows to a height of 1 to 3 feet (30 to 90 cm) and forms clumps or mounds of slender stems. The leaves are lance-shaped, smooth-edged, and arranged alternately along the stem. The flowers are usually bluish-purple, but they can also be white or pink. Each flower head has numerous ray florets (petal-like flowers) surrounding a central disk of tiny tubular florets.

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 24, 28, 29, 30.

This and other asters were formerly place in the genus Aster. That genus was problematic, in that it did not include just one common ancestor with all of its lineal descendants and no others – it was not monophyletic. In 1994, the genus Symphyotrichum was resurrected to include most North American asters formerly in the genus Aster.