Skip to product info
SALE
Ships in FALL

Bluebird Smooth Aster

Symphyotrichum laevis 'Bluebird'

$11.19
$11.19 $13.99
per Plant - 5" Deep Pot
Sale | Save 20%
ZONES  4-8 | Good to grow! Zone
Bulk Savings - Buy More, Save More!
No shipping data More Information
Symphyotrichum laeve var. laeve 'Bluebird' (Smooth Aster) covers itself with a profusion of violet-blue flowers that bloom in late summer through fall. It is a highly-rated wildflower that attracts all types of native bees and butterflies including migrating Monarchs.
Videos
 

More Like This

Description

Symphyotrichum laeve var. laeve 'Bluebird' (Smooth Aster) is one of the very best of our native Asters, providing a profusion of 1-inch violet-blue flowers held in clusters at the tips of the growing stems. Attractive blue-green foliage provides garden interest prior to the showy flowers. 'Bluebird' was introduced by Dr. Richard Lighty of the Mt. Cuba Center botanical gardens where it was rated as the #1 performing Aster in their garden evaluation of the genus. Asters should be a mainstay of the late summer and fall garden—they’re easy-to-grow and invaluable nectar sources for all types of native bees and butterflies, including migrating Monarchs. Growing readily in a wide range of soil types including clay, Bluebird Smooth Aster is a care-free perennial that should be planted in every garden.

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

No shipping data

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.

View

Key Features

Light Requirements

  • Morning Sun & Afternoon Shade
  • Full Sun

Water Tolerance

Low-Water

Bloom Time

Late summer to late fall

Advantages

  • Attracts Butterflies
  • Native
  • Mass Plantings
  • Long Bloom Time
  • Easy To Grow
  • Low Maintenance
  • Cut Flowers
  • Erosion Control
  • Deer Resistant

Additional information

Mature Height

36-48" tall

Mature Spread

24-36" wide

Soil Type

  • Average Soil
  • Sandy Soil

Soil Moisture

  • Average
  • Waterwise

Planting Time

  • Fall

Growing Zones

  • 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: 4.6 / 5 from 10 reviews.

AI Generated Review Summary

Summary topics

Review topics: [].

Review highlights

Reviews

Covered with flowers, the bees love them!

"I bought two plants several years ago. They are very healthy and are covered in blooms in the late fall. I like that they bloom late when most plants are done blooming."

— Artmom (5/5)

Definitely a star in the late season garden

"I purchased one plant two years ago. It bloomed profusely the first season and grew to nearly 5' tall. Covered with blossoms (and bees) from early September until well into November. It's a bit floppy. even with a lot of root competition. I tied it together loosely the first year which kept it reasonably contained. The second year I tied it too tightly and too far up the stems with not as good result. Next year I may try topping it by 6-12 inches in early summer (although that proved to be disastrous when I tried it on goldenrods). Overall it's a very nice addition to the late season garden. I plan to add more!"

— Chaco (5/5)

Worth having.

"Not rabbit resistant. Worth caging. Some plants that are not rabbit resistant are not worth the effort but would say this is. LATE BLOOMING resource for pollinators, into November. Color is beautiful, violet purple-ish, complements true blues and the oranges, reds, browns, russets, and yellows of fall very well. Did not suffer from any other pests besides rabbits."

— C (5/5)

Healthy Large Flowering Plant

"The plant arrived healthy, well-protected for shipping, and ready to go into the ground. I got it specifically because it's rated as ""container friendly"" and have it in a bare spot that needed something good-sized to help fill in the blanks. It's doing very well and putting on new growth as it adjusts and I'm looking forward to seeing it bloom soon. #sweepstakes"

— TXGardener (5/5)

they are nice plants, and is good for a bee garden

"i am building a wildlife garden and asters are great hardy plants that provide late summer to early fall nectar for bees."

— Eve (5/5)

Waiting to enjoy this beauty

"At about four months in the ground, these plants are doing very well. They arrived in excellent shipping condition with clear instructions for planting. An unusually damp year, but the plants seem to be thriving despite that. Will wait for the flowers, but even the foliage is quite lovely to look at. Super fast to grow."

— Rio (5/5)

covered with flowers

"great for pollinators"

— Jmk (5/5)

Had to pull them all out -aster wilt

"How very sad I was to have to pull out all of them-they were all brown at the base. I've never had any issues with previous plants in this area. Now I'm worried that my soil has this fungus"

— Mimi (2/5)

Great looking plants

"Arrived in great condition, oddly enough I received them at the end of April and they had buds with a few opening and flowering, I am assuming greenhouse conditions have them blooming this early, and next season they may revert back to being late summer bloomers??? Talk about instant satisfaction, just a bit strange on the timing!"

— Amanda (4/5)

Bloomed the first summer

"I got 3 asters, and all bloomed the first summer. Out of the over 20 different perennials that I tested, these were total rock stars and exceeded my expectations. I plan to get more as I think they will look great in groups of 5 or more. The first blossoms opened in July, and lasted till November, making it the longest blooming plant I've found. It was fun to watch bees late in the season, and I love the bright color."

— Johanna (5/5)

Q&A

Your Recently Viewed