blue wood aster
Symphyotrichum cordifolium
USDA zones3 to 9
SunHandles full sun to partial sun
WaterHandles dry to moist soil
Size2 to 5 feet tall18 to 24 inches wide
- Habit
- Herb
- Bloom season
- Summer, autumn
- Bloom color
- Pale blue to rich blue with yellow centers
- Foliage color
- Gray-green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Blue wood aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium) is a perennial for borders, pollinator gardens, woodland gardens, and shade gardens. It is hardy to USDA zone 3, or down to -40°F (-40°C). This plant likes full or part sun and dry to moist soil of most types. Pale blue to rich blue flowers with yellow centers open in early to late autumn, and butterflies, bees, and birds visit the blooms. Deer and rabbits usually look elsewhere for a meal. The branching stems can reach 4 feet tall.
Pairs well with Standing Ovation little bluestem, Indian Summer rudbeckia, and Western sword fern.
Native range
Eastern and central North America.