Stokesia laevis Mary Gregory

Stokesia laevis 'Mary Gregory', also known as Chinese Aster or American Cornflower, is a beautiful semi-evergreen perennial that blooms at the end of summer. The large ruffled flowers resemble cornflowers and are white with a creamy yellow heart, rising above tough and slender foliage. It is underused in our gardens as it withstands almost anything and can be grown in sunny flower beds, rockeries or even large pots. Also excellent as cut flowers.

Stokesia laevis belongs to the asteraceae family, native to China and naturalised for a long time in the southeastern United States. It naturally grows in wet places, pine forests, savannas and ditches. The 'Mary Gregory' cultivar is a herbaceous plant producing a basal rosette of elliptical to lanceolate, 20 cm (8in) long leaves, slightly thorny at the base, with a lighter central vein. The plant reaches maturity in three years and then forms a spreading clump of 40 to 45 cm (16 to 18in) in all directions. The upright stems bear smaller, dark and vibrant green leaves, forming a complementary contrast with the very soft-looking flowers. The stems develop numerous decorative pink flower buds at their tips that will bloom into 10 cm (4in) in diameter, ruffled heads in August-September. The white ligules are arranged around a darker, creamy yellow feathery central disc. The nectar-rich flowers attract many butterflies.

The American cornflower is a beautiful ornamental plant with the purity and harmony of wildflowers. It is undemanding in terms of soil quality and happy in a sunny corner of the garden. It looks wonderful planted in groups with damask nigellas, in front of summer or autumn aster flower beds or with purple rudbeckias, shrubby salvias, daylilies and gauras. Beautiful pots can also be made with Stokesia laevis 'Mary Gregory'.