perennial
Stokes' aster
Stokesia laevis
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Hardy in zones 5–9, Stokes' aster is a semi-evergreen perennial. Expect 1–2 ft of height and 1–1.5 ft of spread; our lists space it 1.25 ft apart. It does best in full sun to part shade with average water. Expect blue flowers in June to August. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the filler role: a flowering plant that fills the middle or front of the bed. It is native to the Southeast, Florida and the Gulf and Texas and the South-Central states. Deer usually leave it alone, and it is toxic to dogs and cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in the Desert Southwest, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Stokesia laevis
- Plant type
- Perennial, semi evergreen
- Hardiness zones
- 5 to 9
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours); Part sun (4–6 hours); Part shade (2–4 hours)
- Water
- Medium
- Soil
- Well-drained soil; rots in winter-wet sites.
- Mature size
- 1–2 ft tall × 1–1.5 ft wide
- Spacing
- 1.25 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Medium
- Bloom
- Jun–Aug · blue
- Roles in a bed
- Filler
- Styles
- natural, cottage, classic
- Deer resistance
- High: deer rarely eat it
- Pets
- Toxic to dogs and cats. Not in the ASPCA database and no reliable toxicity data found; marked toxic as a precaution pending review.
- Native to
- Southeast, Florida/Gulf and South-Central
- Pot size and price
- 1-gallon pot, typically $10–$18 (sometimes stocked)
- Plant in
- Spring or Fall
- First-year watering
- Water deeply once or twice a week through the first growing season; keep soil evenly moist, not soggy.
- Pruning
- Deadhead for rebloom.
Sources: ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List (from general knowledge; not re-checked unless verification is web-checked); Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder and grower tags; State extension service guidance and USDA PLANTS distribution maps; Rutgers NJAES Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistance; Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States and state noxious weed lists; Typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box retail listings (estimate). Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Guides that include this plant
- Deer-resistant plants for a full-sun bed in zone 9 (as a substitute)
- What to plant in a part-shade bed in zone 9 (as a substitute)
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Stokes' aster, across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Northern sea oatsChasmanthium latifoliumornamental grass · zones 5–9
- Texas sedgeCarex texensisornamental grass · zones 7–9
- Arrowwood viburnum 'Blue Muffin'Viburnum dentatum 'Christom'shrub · zones 3–8
- Tropical sageSalvia coccineaperennial · zones 8–11
- Turk's capMalvaviscus arboreus var. drummondiiperennial · zones 8–10
- Dwarf yaupon holly 'Nana'Ilex vomitoria 'Nana'shrub · zones 7–10
If you can't find it
Substitutes our engine offers for Stokes' aster: same role in the bed, passing the same rules.
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants