‘Peachie’s Pick’ Stokes Aster

Genus:Stokesia
Species:laevis
Variety:’Peachie’s Pick’
Item Form:1-Quart
Zone:5 – 9
Bloom Start to End:Mid Summer
Habit:Upright
Plant Height:8 in – 12 in
Plant Width:12 in – 20 in
Additional Characteristics:Flower
Bloom Color:Blue
Light Requirements:Part Shade,Full Sun
Resistance:Heat Tolerant,Pest Resistant
Soil Tolerance:Normal, loamy
Uses:Beds,Border,Cut Flowers,Ornamental,Outdoor,Idaho

After the taller Stokes Asters have bloomed, ‘Peachie’s Pick’ explodes into vivid blue color that fills the midsummer garden and patio containers. Just a foot high and not much wider, this neat little dwarf blooms vigorously during the dog days of July and August, when many plants fade away.

‘Peachie’s Pick’ Stokes Aster is not peach-colored. Instead, it’s a strong cornflower-blue, with 2- to 3-inch daisies springing up all over modest plants just 8 to 12 inches tall and 12 to 20 inches wide. An ideal complement in front of daylilies of all colors, it makes a stylish edging for walkways, perennial borders, or sunny garden paths. You can set it into containers and enjoy this rich blue up close on the porch.

Named for the Mississippi plantswoman who discovered ‘Peachie’s Pick’ and grew it, Peachie Saxon, ‘Peachie’s Pick’ blooms in July in the deep South and tolerates about any hot, humid climate as well as less extreme temperatures all the way North through zone 5. Unlike some Stokes Asters, ‘Peachie’s Pick’ won’t flop or droop; these cheery daisies keep their upright stance toward the sun.

Stokes Aster is a native American plant, so it’s largely unaffected by pests and diseases. Thriving in almost any garden soil, it requires full sun to part shade and well-drained soil.