Botany

Aster oblongifolius “Raydon’s Favorite”:

Family: Asteraceae (Compositae) commonly called the aster or sunflower family.

Genus: Aster – star or starry referring to the shape of the flower. Taxonomists have split the asters into several new genera. This plant has recently been changed to Symphyotrichum oblongifolium var. “Raydon’s Favorite”. While I admire the effort of the taxonomists, to gardeners this plant will always be an aster.

Species: oblongifolius – oblong foliage is a distinguishing characteristic of this species.

Plant: A cultivar of aromatic aster (A. oblongifolius) this shrubby perennial at about 3’ tall and 3’ wide is more compact than the species.

Leaf: oblong, alternate, simple, and entire. Leaves range from 2” long near bottom of stems to 0.5” near the flowers. No basal leaves, all leaves attached to stems. Like its parent, the leaves give an aromatic scent when rubbed or brushed against.

raydon hedge

Flower: showy, large, daisy-like blooms approximately 2” across. All aster family members have composite flowering structures. Two types of flowers (disc and ray) are usually present. The center disc is composed of numerous tubular florets. They can be male or female. The male flowers have stamens with yellow pollen, which give the center disc its color. The ray flowers on the outside are strap-like and are usually referred to as the petals. The ray flowers are female and responsible for the bright colors, which range from lavender to blue/violet. The inferior ovary has one cell and one ovule.

Fruit/Seed: small flattened achene with a persistent hairy pappus, which helps with wind dispersal.

Root: A few thick, cord-like, sometimes woody, main roots with a fibrous system developing from them.

Origin: Aromatic aster is native east of the Rockies found from Pennsylvania to N. Dakota to Alabama. The overwhelming majority of asters are from North America, but many of the cultivars have been created in England and Germany. However, Raydon’s Favorite aster was introduced by Holbrook Farms, which I believe is in North Carolina (3rd best state behind SC and IL).