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Raydon's Favorite Aromatic Aster

Symphyotrichum oblongifolius 'Raydon's Favorite'

$13.59
$13.59 $16.99
per Plant - 5" Deep Pot
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ZONES  3-8 | Good to grow! Zone
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Aster oblongifolius 'Raydon's Favorite' (Aromatic Aster) is an essential fall-blooming perennial with showy violet-blue flowers that attract butterflies. A highly rated garden performer that is widely adapted and grows in a variety of soil types.
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Description

Aster oblongifolius 'Raydon's Favorite' (Aromatic Aster) is one of our most reliable native perennial asters. It has a strikingly beautiful mounded appearance with attractive foliage. Blooming in mid- to late fall, it displays large clusters of blue-purple, daisy-like flowers on a 2-3 ft. tall multi-stemmed plant. Highly attractive to native bees and butterflies, this plant is an essential nectar source for pollinating insects preparing for winter. Vigorous and unfussy in the garden, 'Raydon's Favorite' Aster grows in rocky, loam and clay soils and withstands difficult growing conditions very well. It was a top-rated selection in the Chicago Botanic Garden trials, exhibiting exceptional flower production and outstanding winter hardiness. Plant it with Gold Standard Tickseed (Coreopsis 'Gold Standard'), Santa Fe Perennial Sunflower (Helianthus 'Santa Fe'), Prairie Dropseed Grass (Sporobolus) and Santa Fe Phlox (Phlox nana). Nearly of heirloom status and grown for many years, it was introduced into cultivation by San Antonio gardener Raydon Alexander, who got it in the wilds of Tennessee .

Planting & Care

Growing Aster (Aster)
These are late summer/fall blooming native wildflowers that are easy-to-grow and provide an ample late season nectar supply for butterflies and bees. As such, they are an indispensible perennial for late season color and for feeding migrating Monarchs. Asters are resistant to browsing rabbits.

  • They grow well in most any type of soil including clay.
  • Mulch with common mulching materials as well as gravel when planted in a xeriscape.
  • Most do well with regular irrigation to keep the soil moderately moist. Some species are more xeric.
  • Plant in full sun or part sun. Some varieties will stretch in too much shade
  • Just a few handfuls of compost and Yum Yum Mix in the planting hole is enough. Don't plant into a rich, highly amended soil.
  • Species that spread to form wide growing clumps can be divided in mid-spring.
  • Fertilize in the fall with Yum Yum Mix and good quality compost.
  • Deadheading is not necessary, but will reduce re-seeding of seed-grown varieties.
  • Leave standing over the winter months and cut back hard to 1 to 2" above the ground.
  • If foliage becomes affected with mildew at the end of the growing season, cut back to the ground and remove the leaves/stems to the compost pile or trash.

Shipping

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As soon as your order is placed you will receive a confirmation email. You will receive a second email the day your order ships telling you how it has been sent. Some perennials are shipped as potted plants, some as perennial roots packed in peat.  The ‘Plant Information’ section describes how that item will ship. All perennials and fall-planted bulbs are packaged to withstand shipping and are fully-guaranteed. Please open upon receipt and follow the instructions included.

Perennials and fall-planted bulbs are shipped at the proper planting time for your Growing Zone. Perennial and fall-planted bulb orders will arrive separately from seeds. If your order requires more than one shipment and all items are shipping to the same address, there is no additional shipping charge. See our shipping information page for approximate ship dates and more detailed information. If you have any questions, please call Customer Service at (801) 769-0300 or contact us by email or chat.

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Key Features

Light Requirements

  • Full Sun

Water Tolerance

Low-Water

Bloom Time

Early to late fall

Advantages

  • Bee Friendly
  • Attracts Butterflies
  • Native
  • Mass Plantings
  • Long Bloom Time
  • Easy To Grow
  • Cut Flowers
  • Fragrant
  • Erosion Control
  • Deer Resistant
  • Rabbit Resistant

Additional information

Mature Height

24-36" tall

Mature Spread

12-24" wide

Soil Type

  • Average Soil
  • Sandy Soil
  • Clay Soil

Soil Moisture

  • Average
  • Waterwise

Planting Time

  • Fall

Growing Zones

  • Zone 3
  • Zone 4
  • Zone 5
  • Zone 6
  • Zone 7
  • Zone 8

Ships As

Potted Plant

Can Send To PO Box

No

Ships to Hawaii & Alaska

No

Overall rating: 4.9 / 5 from 10 reviews.

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Review highlights

Reviews

Highly recommended

"I recently wrote a mediocre review of HCG Aster ericoides 'First Snow', however I am here today to tell you that Aster ""Raydon's Favorite' is a real keeper. The blooms are about an inch across, very attractive, each lasting several days, and the plants continue to bloom for a few weeks in Sept and October. The plant is very sturdy and is attractive even out of bloom."

— Dr D. (5/5)

Love this plant!

"These are in the back border of the flower bed. This is the second year of growing and they have taken off! Covered in buds ready for fall can't wait to see what the flowers look like. They need to lean on another plant because of their weight."

— TJ (5/5)

Updated review for October 2023.

"I left reviews for this aster last year but I wanted to leave another to show how wonderful it is after another year of maturity. I cut it all the way to the ground in late winter/early spring. By June, it was getting so big that I trimmed about a foot off of it so it would not flop. It grew a little more and filled up with buds. Bloomed early October. Today is October 21st and it is the only thing blooming in my gardens. It looks amazing in front of my evergreens and it is full of bees and other last minute snackers. Look at the little pollen pants on that happy bee. I love this aster so much!"

— Rebelsquirrel (5/5)

good so far!!

"hardy. A bit floppy. Has survived the first summer well. I am looking forward to the bloom time to see if the bees love it. Has not mildewed and lost lower leaves like many asters. So far so good :)"

— Plains G. (4/5)

Healthy plant doing great

"The plant grew quickly and produced beautiful flowers profusely."

— Shiv (5/5)

First season, second review!

"I planted this in the spring of 2022 and left a review in October. I am back today, November 3rd of 2022 with another photo. I am in love with this plant. Not only are they the stars of my late season garden, they are now the stars of the neighborhood. They are stunning. You can see them as you come up the road a block away! Also, on overcast days, they glow-I don't know how else to put it. They are amazing. I have heavy clay soil and mulch with gravel."

— Rebelsquirrel (5/5)

Great early performer

"Ordered one plant for my front yard, lower garden, to sit behind a couple of spreading pink cotton lambs' ears in same order this spring. I've been unable to tend to my garden for the last few months after getting sciatica which kept me from watching its progress. It's now blooming like crazy, but is not 2-3' tall. I expect that may happen next year. I don't always expect perennials to do a lot of blooming their first year so I'm pleased with it."

— Gwen (5/5)

Full of blooms, first season!

"I had never tried to grow asters because they come up so late in the season and I saw little reason to bother. But on a whim, I decided to try Raydon's because I had a large spot to fill. I planted in May of 2022 and by late September, this thing had grown up and was ready to explode in buds. Now it is October 16, 2022 and it is still full of blooms and pollinators. it is actually the star of my late season garden. So happy that I tried this aster. It really looked good all summer as a backdrop to something else, just waiting for its turn to shine. I am a fan now and will be putting in more."

— Rebelsquirrel (5/5)

I would recommend this plant

"I am always pleased with the plants I purchase from High Country Gardens. They arrive healthy and become established quickly if handled as instructed."

— Dee (5/5)

Plant arrived quickly, in excellent condition

"Great service, thank you"

— Ran (5/5)

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