Stokes Asters Drought Tolerant Summertime Flowers
Stokes’ Aster, Stokesia laevis, is native to the Southern US, from North Carolina to Louisiana, where they grow inwards wetlands, bottomlands, as well as ditches. The Stokesia Blue Frills inwards the photograph is inwards its 3rd twelvemonth inwards our garden, without wintertime protection. 
Stokesia laevis plants are mutual depression temperature hardy inwards zones five to ix as well as a lite wintertime mulch volition ensure their provide the next spring.
The bluish bloom varieties are the near unremarkably grown yesteryear gardens as well as gardeners although at that spot are pink, imperial as well as white varieties available. Stokes’ Asters bloom inwards June as well as July inwards total sun. Since they spread solely to i or one-and-a-half feet wide, they are ideal for the front end of a shrub bed.
Stokes’ Asters are slow to grow inwards average soil amongst medium moisture. They volition tolerate role Sun but bring to a greater extent than flowers as well as stronger stems when grown inwards total Sun (6 hours a day).
Drought tolerance is i of the advantages of Stokes’ Asters. They prefer the proficient drainage of a container, a hillside bed or sandy soil. An expanse where the roots remain wet as well as mutual depression temperature all wintertime volition effort their early on demise.
To proceed them blooming, deadhead (cut off) the faded flowers as well as take stems that expect spent. They may bring a autumn re-bloom. After plants halt flowering the stems tin live on cutting dorsum to the base.
Stokes’ Asters bring no insect or illness problems; deer as well as rabbits create non consume them. They bring to live on divided every four to half dozen years. They were named for the botanist physician Jonathan Stokes, a friend of Carl Linnaeus. physician Stokes also discovered the heart-healing digitalis inwards Foxglove plants.
To grow Stokesia, constitute seeds guide inwards the garden inwards autumn or early on spring. Seeds tin live on purchased or collected from existing plants. Plant roots tin live on divided inwards Oct to propagate indoors this winter.
