Aromatic aster takes its common name from its finely textured foliage that exudes a minty fragrance when handled. It has a low mounding habit and forms bushy, spreading clumps of gray-green. `October Skies’ is a short, bushy cultivar that, during fall, bears hundreds of lavender-blue daisy-like flowers with bright yellow centers. Beautiful when grown en masse, `October Skies’ is also exceptional as a pathway edging or as a companion. `October Skies’ is drought tolerant, requires little fertilizer, and is tolerant of clay.
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Details
Hardiness Zone:
3
Blossom Color:
Violet to Purple
Growth Habit:
Shrubby
Max Height:
18"
Texture:
Fine Texture
Recommended Spacing:
1½' to 2'
We sell this plant in these containers:
#1 Pot
Special Characteristics
Cuttings
Seasonal Effect
Moderate Area
Drought Tolerant
Butterflies
Bees
Large Area
Deer Resistant
Sandy Soil Tolerant
Native Cultivar
Features
The finely textured foliage of `October Skies' exudes a minty fragrance when handled. It has a low mounding habit and forms short bushy, spreading clumps of gray-green. During fall, it bears hundreds of lavender-blue daisy-like flowers with bright yellow centers.
Landscape Value
Beautiful when grown en masse, `October Skies' is also exceptional as a pathway edging or companion.
Care
Watering:
`October Skies' Aromatic Aster is moderately drought tolerant but benefits from occasional watering, to maintain soil in a moist but not wet condition, during the summer months.
Fertilizing:
`October Skies' Aromatic Aster is a moderate feeder, benefiting from a couple of annual applications of slow release fertilizer. A spring application of a 3-1-2 ratio (such as a 15-5-10) can be applied at a rate of about 10 pounds per 1000 square feet, and during early fall, an application of a 2-1-2 ratio (such as a 10-5-10) can be applied to encourage root development and cold hardiness.
Pruning:
`October Skies' Aromatic Aster should be enjoyed all winter long, then, during early April before it begins to grow again, it should be pruned or mowed back to ground level.
