Raydon's Favorite Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium ‘Raydon’s Favorite’Raydon’s Favorite Aster is a selection of aromatic aster, Symphyotrichum oblongifolium, a perennial native to much of the central and eastern United States, including western Maryland. It forms a dense, rounded mound of stiff, branching stems clothed in small, narrow, gray-green leaves. Brushing against the foliage releases a balsam scent with a hint of mint. Plants typically reach 2–3 feet tall and about as wide.
From late summer into October, hundreds of 1-inch, violet-blue daisies with yellow centers cover the mound, often lasting until hard frost. The flowers are a late source of nectar for bees, skippers and butterflies, and the foliage hosts Silvery Checkerspot caterpillars. Songbirds eat the seeds. In the landscape it fits perennial borders, meadow plantings, pollinator gardens and cottage gardens, and the stems make good cut flowers.
Full sun brings the densest habit and heaviest bloom, though plants tolerate light afternoon shade. Aromatic aster is native to rocky bluffs and prairies, so it adapts to clay, sandy and rocky soils as long as drainage is good. Once established, it handles drought and dry spells well, and deer and rabbits rarely browse it. Moderate salt tolerance makes it useful along walks and driveways. Its care needs are simple.
Care Instructions:
Planting: Plant in spring or early fall in a sunny spot with good drainage and open air movement.
Soil: Grows in average to lean clay, loam, sand or rocky soil; avoid rich, heavily amended beds, which encourage lanky growth.
Watering: Water regularly through the first season, then only during extended drought; established plants prefer to stay on the dry side.
Fertilizing: Fertilizer is rarely needed; a light spring application in very poor soil is enough.
Pruning: Leave stems standing through winter, then cut dead stems back to 12–24 inches in early spring so stem-nesting bees can use them.
Spacing: Space plants approximately 2–3 feet apart to allow each mound to fill out with good air circulation.
Maintenance: Avoid poorly drained, crowded sites, where powdery mildew is more likely, and divide large clumps every few years if they become crowded.
Gardeners choose Raydon’s Favorite for color at the end of the season, when most perennials have finished. The Garden Club of America named it its 2016 Plant of the Year. It performs best in sunny, well-drained beds, slopes and meadow plantings where little extra water or care is available, and it pairs well with native grasses, goldenrod and coneflower.
Landscape Solutions:
- Late-season violet-blue blooms extend garden color into October after most perennials have faded.
- Drought tolerance and adaptability to poor, rocky or clay soil make it a dependable choice for hot, dry beds with little irrigation.
- Deer and rabbits rarely browse its aromatic foliage, so it holds up in gardens with heavy wildlife pressure.
- Fall nectar and caterpillar host value make it a strong addition to native pollinator and butterfly gardens.
- Moderate salt tolerance makes it useful along walkways and driveways that may receive winter road salt.
