Stokesia laevis (Hill) Greene. Common name: Stokesia, Stokes Aster, Blue Stokesia. Phenology: Late Jun-Aug. Habitat: Pitcherplant bogs and moist pinelands, and also rather frequently grown as a garden plant and naturalized from cultivation in states outside its native distribution. Distribution: Native from e. SC south ne. FL, FL Panhandle, west to e. LA (St. Tammany Parish); disjunct in w. LA and e. TX (Loos et al. 2019). There seems no reason to question the validity and native status of the early record from SC.
Origin/Endemic status: Endemic
Taxonomy Comments: A unique tetraploid population found by the Atlanta Botanical Garden in Omega, GA (near Tifton) in the 1990s was distinguished by having distinct upright and long scapes, up to 1 meter in length; the original population has been destroyed, but a selection derived from it was named ‘Omega Skyrocket’ and introduced into the commercial trade (Barb, Werner, & Tallury 2008).
Synonymy ⓘ: = Fl7, FNA19, K4, POWO, RAB, S, SE1, WH3, Jones (1982); Carthamus laevis J. Hill. Basionym: Carthamus laevis Hill 1768
Links to other floras: = Stokesia laevis - FNA19
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Wetland Indicator Status:
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FAC
- Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FAC
Heliophily ⓘ: 9
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Horticultural Information
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Height: 1-2 ft.
plant sale text: Elegant pale blue to purple flowers provide a striking show in the garden. Its notched ray petals surround a central disc containing many small flowers in the center. The color blue is uncommon and highly prized in the perennial border, complementing many other colors. The flowers are very attractive to butterflies. It is an excellent choice for the sunny perennial border.
bloom table text: Stokesia (pronounced stoks-ee-a) was named in honor of Dr. Jonathan Stokes, an Edinburgh physician and friend of Linnaeus. This native perennial prefers a sunny to partially sunny location, and should have well-drained soil to prevent rotting in the winter. It is a very tough wildflower that has undergone alot of breeding to produce new varieties with white, yellow, and various shades of purple and blue flowers. The 'Mary Gregory' variety was developed at Niche Gardens, just west of Chapel Hill. Blooming during early and mid summer, Stokes'-aster makes an excellent cut flower.
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germination code: 2
native range: southeastern United States
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