Sky Blue Aster for the Fall Garden and Butterflies
Plant sky blue asters for added color and butterfly appeal in the fall garden.
Hardy in zones 3 to 8 this aster is native from Ontario south to Georgia and Alabama and west from Minnesota to Texas. You can find it growing in native prairies, woodland edges and rocky slopes.
This fall beauty tolerates a wide range of soils but prefers well-drained soil in full sun to lightly shaded locations. Once established it will tolerate drought.
The small daisy like flowers have a yellow center surrounded by blue to blue-violet petals. The blossoms provide an important late season food source for native bees.
This aster grows 2 to 3 feet tall and about 2 feet wide. Include it in natural plantings, prairie gardens, meadows and mixed borders. Or combine it with showy goldenrod to create a beautiful display reminiscent of a Monet painting.
A bit more information: The daisy-like flowers of the sky-blue asters are really an inflorescence or arrangement of many individual flowers. What we call petals are actually infertile ray flowers. The center is comprised of usually fertile disk flowers.
Related
Article
Audio
Categories
Upcoming
Events & Webinars
Mar. 5, 2026
FREE WEBINAR:
Start New Plants from Seeds, Cuttings and More
Register here
Mar. 11, 2026
FREE WEBINAR:
Save Money & Boost Your Growing Success with Bare Root Plants
Register here
Mar. 18, 2026
FREE WEBINAR:
Patio, Deck and Balcony Gardens
Register here
March 21 & 28, 2026
REALTORS Home & Garden Show
West Allis, WI
More information
March 24, 2026
SC Johnson Golden Rondelle Theater
Community Program
Racine, WI
More information
March 26, 2026
FREE WEBINAR:
Getting Started Growing Vegetable and Flower Gardens
Register here
April 1, 2026
FREE WEBINAR:
Growing a Bountiful Harvest
Register here
April 9, 2026
FREE WEBINAR:
7 Steps to Managing Water on Your Property
Register here
April 11, 2026
A Day in the Garden
Fond du Lac, WI
Register here
April 18, 2026
3rd Annual Spring Rally
Oshkosh, WI
Register here
April 19, 2026
Ebert's Greenhouse Village
Ixonia, WI
April 23, 2026
Iowa State University
More information
April 25, 2026
Pasquesi Home & Gardens
Lake Bluff, IL
April 26, 2026
Ebert's Greenhouse Village
Ixonia, WI
May 2, 2026
Ebert's Greenhouse Village
Ixonia, WI
May 6, 2026
FREE WEBINAR:
Adding Native Plants
to Any Size Gardening Space
Register here
May 9, 2026
Ebert's Greenhouse Village
Ixonia, WI
May 10, 2026
Ebert's Greenhouse Village
Ixonia, WI
May 16, 2026
Ebert's Greenhouse Village
Ixonia, WI
May 17, 2026
Ebert's Greenhouse Village
Ixonia, WI
May 21, 2026
FREE WEBINAR:
Planting & Care of Your Rain Garden
Register here
June 3, 2026
FREE WEBINAR:
Managing Your Landscape
with Pollinators in Mind
Register here
Sept. 3, 2026
FREE WEBINAR:
Tree Planting and Care
Register here
Sept. 12, 2026
Knowledge in Bloom Conference
Milwaukee, WI
Register here
Sept. 17, 2026
FREE WEBINAR:
Fall Landscape Care and Planting
Register here
WATCH ON-DEMAND WEBINARS
Learn More
Book an Appearance
Sign up for Melinda's free e-newsletter for a chance to win a Birds & Blooms' Ultimate Gardening Guide!
ENTER NOW
