Stokesia laevis Blue Star

Stokesia laevis 'Blue Star' is a variety with large sky-blue flowers with white centres! It is a perennial that forms a rosette of dark green, evergreen, narrowly lanceolate leaves and maintains a neat appearance in the border of the garden. From July to October, numerous erect stems emerge from its tuft, bearing wide heads with strongly laciniate ligules. It performs well in sunny and well-drained gardens, even tolerating drought. It is a very hardy and easy-to-grow perennial, suitable for beginner gardeners and wild gardens.

Stokesia laevis belongs to the asteraceae family. it is native to China and has been naturalised in the southeastern United States for a long time. In the wild, it grows in damp places, pine forests, savannas, and ditches and can withstand temperatures down to -25°C (-13°F). The 'Blue Star' cultivar is an herbaceous perennial that forms a basal rosette of elliptical to lanceolate, 20 cm (8in) long leaves, slightly spiny at the base, with a lighter central vein. The plant grows quite slowly, reaching maturity in three years, forming a spreading clump 60 cm (24in) tall and 45 cm (18in) wide. The erect stems bear smaller, dark and vibrant green leaves, creating a complementary contrast with the flowers, which have a very soft appearance. At their tips, the stems develop numerous, nectar-rich decorative pinkish flower buds from summer to autumn, which will open into 7 to 10 cm (3 to 4in) diameter, fluffy heads, resembling carnations and attract many butterflies. The fringed ligules are sky blue and arranged around a white feathery central disc.

Stokesia laevis Blue Star is a fantastic ornamental plant with a pure and harmonious appearance that resembles wildflowers. Hardy and undemanding in terms of soil quality, it is happy in a sunny corner of the garden. It works well planted in groups with damask flowers and cosmos, in front of summer or autumn aster beds, accompanied by purple black-eyed Susans, shrubby salvias, daylilies, and gauras. It can also be used to create lovely drought-resistant pots and charming bouquets. In a natural-style garden, pair it with grasses such as stipas and fescues.