Symphyotrichum laeve
Cultivar: Bluebird
Asteraceae (Aster Family)
Habit: Herb
Duration: Perennial
Range: eastern North America
Height: 2-4 ft.
Hardiness Zone: 3 to 8
Bloom Color: Blue, Purple
Bloom Period: Sep-Oct
Light: Sun
Soil: Dry, Average
Atttracts: Bees, Butterflies
Cultivar Comments: Bluebird is loaded with 1 inch blue-lavender, yellow-centered daisy heads from late summer into early fall. Butterflies flock to these asters. Plants in part shade may need staking as they do tend to sprawl. You can cut your plants in half in June to encourage a bushier habit and potentially more flower blooms. The leaves are a shady-pine-tree green (darker than sweet- gum, lighter than yew). The flowers are best viewed during dusk, when the violet really stands out.