Aster, Raydon’s Favorite | Aster oblongifolius

Growing in a nice 2-3 foot mound and blooming in Mid to Late Autumn, Aromatic Aster is a great plant for the garden.

Aromatic Aster ranges across the Great Plains, but can also be found in the Appalachian Mountains from Tennessee to Pennsylvania. Aromatic aster is usually found in alkaline to slightly acidic, gravelly meadows and prairies.

The variety ‘Raydon’s Favorite’ is an exceptionally nice cultivar of Aromatic Aster, featuring a more compact habit and darker flower color. This variety is also more floriferous than the straight species.

‘Raydon’s Favorite’ was originally introduced in to horticulture through Raydon Alexander, a gardener from San Antonio. This variety has been grown in Southern Texas for years, almost becoming a garden heirloom – Alexander sent some to Allen Bush who owned Holbrook Farm and Nursery, stating that it was his favorite fall-blooming aster.

Though it had been grown in Texas for years, it appears that the original plant matches up with strains of Aromatic Aster from East Tennessee; a gardener must have noted a particular nice specimen and brought it back to Texas. A strain growing on Lookout Mountain has fairly similar characteristics, and this popular tourist destination may very well be the original source of ‘Raydon’s Favorite’ aster.