Stokes Aster

Stokes Aster 'Mel's Blue' (Stokesia laevis 'Mel's Blue') is a low clumping perennial that holds at about 40cm tall and wide and carries broad blue to purple daisy flowers right through the warm months. It is one of the easier flowering perennials to keep going in an Australian garden: frost hardy, drought tolerant once settled, and just as content in a pot as in a border.

Why you'll love it

• A long, reliable flowering season. Wide blue and purple daisies open over months, and deadheading keeps the next flush coming.
• It fits anywhere. At 40cm by 40cm it slots into a border edge, a rockery pocket or a courtyard pot without crowding its neighbours.
• An unusually wide climate range. Cool temperate, warm temperate, subtropical and Mediterranean gardens all suit it, which few flowering perennials manage.
• Bees and butterflies work it hard. The open flower shape is easy for pollinators to land on, so a massed planting stays busy all summer.

Where it works best

Borders and edging. Plant 30cm apart for a massed border, which is about eleven plants per square metre. At that spacing the clumps meet and read as a single band of blue rather than a row of dots.

Mass planting and rockeries. Drifts of nine or more look far better than singles, and the tidy clumping habit holds its shape between gravel and rocks.

Pots and small gardens. A 300mm pot holds one plant comfortably. In a courtyard or small garden it delivers flower colour without the size of a shrub.

Growing Stokes Aster in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the most flowers, though light afternoon shade helps in hot inland gardens. It is frost hardy, so cool temperate districts are no problem, and it copes with heat once established. Humid tropical gardens are the one climate it does not suit.

Soil. Free draining soil matters more than fertility, especially over winter when cold wet feet will rot the crown. On clay, raise the bed and work through compost and coarse sand.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer while the clump establishes, after which it needs water only in long dry spells. A complete slow release fertiliser in early spring is enough.

Pruning. Deadhead spent flowers through summer to keep the display going, then cut the old foliage back in late winter before the new growth pushes. Lift and divide clumps every three to four years to keep them vigorous.

What to expect when it arrives

It is sold as tube stock, currently supplied to order. Tubes are young plants with a small crown and a few leaves rather than a flowering clump, and they usually reach full size and flower in their first full warm season.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, so most people order enough tubes for a whole border, which is how this plant looks best. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Bee and butterfly friendly plants
• Plants suited to mass planting
• Rockery plants for sharp drainage
• Choosing edging plants for a border

Common questions

How many plants do I need per square metre?

At the recommended 30cm spacing you need about eleven plants per square metre. For a narrow edge, a single row 30cm apart is enough.

Does it die back in winter?

In cool temperate gardens the foliage tires and can look rough over winter. Cut it back in late winter and the clump reshoots strongly in spring.

Can I grow it in a pot?

Easily. Use a 300mm pot with free draining mix, water more often than you would in the ground, and divide the clump every few years when it fills the pot.