Symphyotrichum (Aster) lavae Smooth Aster
General
A beautiful aster with violet blue or purple flowers that bloom in September or October. Will attract pollinators.
Plant Description
Growing 2-4' tall. Clusters of round, bright purple flowers with up to 30 petals each, and with yellow centers. The flower will turn into a fluffy seed head.
Height (ft)
2-4'
Soil moisture
Dry to Medium
Soil types
Average, Well Drained
Shade tolerance
Intolerant, Full Sun
Bloom color
Purple
Bloom period
Fall
Drought tolerance
Medium
Salinity tolerance
None
Distribution
Throughout North America, mainly in the Appalachians, along the Mississippi River, North-Central to North-West Canadian Border, and in the Rocky Mountains. Some populations in Northeastern Mexico, and South-Central Canada.
Additional information
Brown, Lauren. Grasses: An Identification Guide. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York City, 1979. LINK
Fassett, Norman C. A Manual of Aquatic Plants, First Edition. McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., New York and London, 1940. LINK
Garbisch, Edgar W., and McIninch, Suzanne M. Propagation of Wetland Plants: Herbaceous Plants, Shrubs and Trees. Environmental Concern, Inc. 2003. LINK
Harris, James G., and Harris, Melinda Woolf. Plant Identification Terminology: An Illustrated Glossary, Second Edition. Spring Lake Publishing, Spring Lake, Utah. 2011. LINK
Hitchcock, A.S., and Chase, Agnes. Manual of the Grasses of the United States, Second Edition, Volume I. Dover Publications, Inc., New York, 1971. LINK
Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2015. North American Plant Atlas. (http://bonap.net/napa). Chapel Hill, N.C. [maps generated from Kartesz, J.T. 2015. Floristic Synthesis of North America, Version 1.0. Biota of North America Program (BONAP). (in press) LINK
McKenny, Margaret and Peterson, Roger Tory. A Field Guide to Wildflowers of Northeastern and North-central North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1968. LINK
Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb's Wildflower Guide. Laurence Newcomb, Mexico. 1977. LINK
USDA, NRCS. 2021. PLANTS Database (https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/, 08/20/2021). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA. LINK
https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=g420
https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/sm_asterx.htm
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/smooth-blue-aster
https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=sylal3
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphyotrichum_laeve
https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/forb/symlae/all.html
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/symphyotrichum-laeve/
