Common Name: Sky Blue Aster

Latin Name: Symphyotrichum oolentangiense

Height: 3 feet tall

Duration: Perennial

Bloom Color: Blue, Lavender

Bloom Time: August - October

Water Use: Low

Soil: Medium, Medium-Dry, Dry

Light Requirement: Full Sun, Partial Shade

Spreads via seeds, can also be propagated by ‘softwood’ cuttings taken in late Spring

Host Plant: Aster species are host plants to the Silvery Checkerspot butterfly caterpillar and the Pearl Crescent butterfly caterpillar.

Pollinators: Bumblebees, digger bees, leaf-cutting bees, Halictid bees, Andrenid bees, Syrphid flies, bee flies, butterflies, skippers, and beetles.

Other Information:  Ruffed Grouse, Wild Turkey, and Tree Sparrow feed on seeds. Leaves are similar to appearance to Smooth Blue Aster (Symphyotrichum laeve). However, as the name implies, Smooth Blue Aster has smooth leaves, while Sky Blue Aster has rough leaves.