Symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'October Skies' (Aromatic Aster)

Symphyotrichum oblongifolium (syn. Aster oblongifolius) is a species of aster, commonly referred to as aromatic aster, noted for its attractive flowers and fragrant plant tissues; the 'October Skies' cultivar is a vigorous but compact cultivar noted for its dwarf growth habit (only reaching about 18" tall) and deep, sky-blue to purple flowers. Symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'October Skies' blooms from late summer to late fall, providing a valuable and attractive food source for pollinators, birds, and wildlife through the start of the cooler months. 

Aromatic aster thrives in medium-dry, sunny conditions and tolerates poor and clay-rich soils, as well as deer and rabbit damage, making it a great choice for rock gardens, pollinator gardens, and open meadows where it provides a lot of ecological appeal; with its smaller habit than the parent species, and its innate ability to reseed, 'October Skies' also makes an excellent grouncover pick. Symphyotrichum oblongifolium flowers feed a variety of pollinators, its leaves feed butterfly and moth larvae, and its seeds feed a large variety of songbirds through the fall and winter, and planting in large masses only adds to its ecological and ornamental value.