Dig into Plants: Stokes Aster

Stokes Aster Scientific Name: Stokesia laevis Native to Alabama: Yes
	Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Sally and Andy Wasowski Click on image to enlarge it

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Basic Plant Information
	I am a vascular plant with no woody stems above ground, so I am herbaceous. I do not keep leaves year-round in colder climates and keep my leaves year-round in mild climates, so I am semi-evergreen. I die back in winter but regrow in spring for many seasons, so I am perennial. I can grow 1 - 2 feet high and 1 - 1.5 feet wide.
Flickr Kristine Paulus Click on image to enlarge it

Ecological Benefits


This plant provides food for:

Butterflies	Caterpillars	Native Bees	Other Birds
	Pearl Crescent Checkerspot Butterflies


Other Plants Found in Alabama with Similar Ecological Benefits:
Broad-leaved Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium)	Drummond’s Aster (Symphyotrichum drummondii)	Rice Button Aster (Symphyotrichum dumosumi)


White Heath Aster (Symphyotrichum ericoides)	Calico Aster (Symphyotrichum lateriflorum)	Skyblue Aster (Symphyotrichum oolentangiense)


Willowleaf Aster (Symphyotrichum praealtum)	Smooth Blue Aster (Symphyotrichum laeve)

Maintenance Notes
Not dormant in the winter unless in a climate where temperatures are colder. In warm winter climates leaves are evergreen. Flowers can be cut for an indoor vase. Deadhead individual faded flowers to encourage additional bloom.
When watering, hold hose to base of plant for a count of 5 seconds. Water should reach all roots. Avoid sprinkling water on the leaves. Requires heavy watering with good drainage.
Heavy watering with good drainage: water two-three times per week during the summer and twice per week during the rest of the year.

Habitat Requirements

This plant prefers:
Full Sun (6+ hours of sun per day) Part Sun/ Shade (2-6 hours of sun per day)	Prefers heavy watering with good drainage	Well-drained, Acidic, or Moist Soil

Leaf, Flower & Seed Identification

LEAF DESCRIPTION				Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Stephanie Brundage Click on image to enlarge it
Leaf Characteristics Chart (PDF)

Shape: Lanceolate or Linear	Margin: Entire or Serrate	Arrangement: Alternate	Form: Simple


Description:
Basal leaves are lanceolate with entire margins, stem leaves are linear with serrate margins and the leaves have no hair on them


FLOWER DESCRIPTION			Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Alan Cressler Click on image to enlarge it
Flower Shapes Chart (JPG)

Color: White, blue, purple	Shape: Stellate (star-shaped)	Bloom Months: May - Sep

Description:
fragrant; solitary pompom-like cluster of flowers on end of branch upon a whorl of leafy bracts; bilabiate (two-lipped) with narrow upper lip and broad lower lip



SEED DESCRIPTION			davesgarden.com MyGardens2009 Click on image to enlarge it

Type: Fruit - Dry Seed Pod	Description: papery-brown bracts surround nutlets, which are ¼ inches when mature	Months in Seed: Summer

Plant spreads by:
Seeds and Rhizomes/ Tubers/ Roots & Shoots Will spread via roots to form new clumps

Plant Life Cycle

Plant Life Cycle:

All plants start life as a seed.
The seed turns into a sprout when it grows roots.
The sprout becomes a seedling as grows a stem and leaves above the ground.
After the seedling becomes an adult plant it will grow flowers.
After the flowers finish blooming, each flower turns into a seed.
When the seeds fall down to the ground, the plant life cycle starts again.
Each seed can become a plant if it has the food, water and space that it needs to grow.

General Plant Life Cycle - Dreamstime
Click on image to enlarge it

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS

Quick Fact Sheet
(Condensed Species Info)

Plant ID Sign:
Ready as-is PDF

Plant ID Sign:
Editable Word Doc

QR Code
(Links to this Webpage)

INFORMATION SOURCES FOR THIS PLANT

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center's Plant Database		Florida Native Plant Society
Alabama Plant Atlas		North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Missouri Botanical Garden		Prince William Conservation Alliance

Alabama Outdoor Classroom Conservation Education Programs