Wood's Light Blue Aster (Aster dumosus 'Wood's Light Blue')
ASS-ter doo-MOE-sus 'Wood's Light Blue'

Deciduous Perennial in the Astereae Family
 
Buy Wood's Light Blue Aster
Size Notes Price Availability
Tray of 6 #1 gallons Field

Full Foliage (7/25)

 $58.41

About Asters

Asters are your garden’s grand finale—bursting into bloom just when everything else starts to fade. These late-season stars bring a confetti of purples, pinks, and whites that pollinators adore. They’re tough, low-maintenance, and thrive in Chicagoland’s fall. Plant asters, and your garden will go out with a standing ovation.


Asters are a beloved genus of perennial flowering plants that are renowned for their vibrant, daisy-like blooms and important role in supporting late-season pollinators. Native to North America and Eurasia, asters are a diverse group, comprising hundreds of species and cultivars that vary greatly in their growth habits, flower colors, and bloom times.

Common garden asters, such as New England aster (Aster novae-angliae) and Smooth aster (Aster laevis), typically feature large, showy flower heads composed of delicate, radiating ray petals surrounding a central disk. These blooms range in hue from classic purple and lavender to pink, white, and even deep red, adding pops of color to landscapes in late summer and fall. Asters' adaptability to a variety of soil types and growing conditions, from full sun to partial shade, make them versatile selections for borders, meadows, and naturalized areas.

Beyond their ornamental appeal, asters are a vital food source for a wide range of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and moths, providing a crucial nectar-rich floral display when many other plants have finished blooming for the season. This ecological value, combined with asters' ease of care and long-lasting flowers, solidifies their status as beloved, must-have perennials for any garden.

Pros

  • Vibrant late-season color and pollinator joy when other plants are fading
  • Variety of sizes and colors
  • Several native Asters are available
  • Cold-hardy and reliable in Chicagoland

Cons

  • Can become leggy and flop over in formal gardens without regular pruning or early-season pinching back
  • Short bloom window
  • Needs full sun
  • Some types can self-seed aggressively
 

Plant Data

Tags Deciduous, Perennial, Popular For Fall, Rabbit Resistant, Wet Site Tolerant
Flower Color
 

Related Articles
Wood's Light Blue Aster, in bloom
Wood's Light Blue Aster, in bloom
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Pricing and Availability History

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Limited Availability

We try very hard to source exactly what you’d like, but sometimes growers run out of plants! While this variety is a great deal at the price shown, we know that it has limited availability. If you want the plant even if it might be more expensive, or in a different size or quantity -- after you place your order, just send us a quick note at help@northshoreplantclub.com. Then, we’ll try to get you some version of this from one of our growers. And if we can’t get it from anywhere, of course, we’ll send a refund!


Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


Estimated Recipe Cost

The cost of this recipe's ingredients will vary depending on the season and the sizes and varieties you select.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!