S & J Nursery's Guide to Growing

Stokesia 'Mary Gregory'

in the Northeast Florida Landscape

 ( Stokesia laevis 'Mary Gregory' / Stokes Aster )

Stokesia Mary Gregory Yellow Stokes Aster Origins:

 - Stokesia laevis is a wonderful Florida native perennial heirloom plant that deserves much more garden space than it gets! I think I will never forget the first time I ran into these beauties at a customers home, she had been dividing them for many years and planting them as a border along her driveways and walkways etc. They were in full bloom and I had never seen them before, when she began to talk about how hardy they were with such little care as she gave them I could not understand how none of my suppliers were growing this plant! So I set out to find seeds and young starter plants of Stokesia and have been grabbing and trying every cultivar I can find ever since. To this day they are a favorite among my perennial plantings for Northeast Florida and have thrived in both Jacksonville and St. Augustine area gardens for years.

Mary Gregory is the only yellow Stokes Aster selection I have ever run across, it has large soft buttery colored blooms. Very pretty garden plant!

Stokesia Mary Gregory Yellow Stokes Aster Preferred Exposure:

- Stokes Asters Mary Gregory will prefer a full sun exposure in the Northeast Florida | Jacksonville | St. Augustine area landscape.

Stokesia Mary Gregory Yellow Stokes Aster Foliage:

- Compact mounds of deep dark green leathery tufts of foliage remain evergreen in our Northeast Florida gardens.

Stokesia Mary Gregory Yellow Stokes Aster Soil Preference / Salt tolerance:

-  Mary Gregory Stokes Aster will thrive in well draining soils. Tolerates moist soils as well.

- Salt tolerance unknown

Stokesia Mary Gregory Yellow Stokes Aster Size Variance:

- Stokesia Mary Gregory Yellow Stokes Aster stays low and only reaches 12-18 inches tall and wide the flowering stalks rising above the foliage. 

 - Foliage alone without flowering stalks on it will form a clump 12 inches high  and 12-18 inches wide.

Stokesia Mary Gregory Yellow Stokes Aster Growth Habit:

- Evergreen, clumping almost grass like perennial forms an attractive compact mound of foliage.

Stokesia Mary Gregory Yellow Stokes Aster Growth Rate:

-Stokesia is a moderate grower and can be expected to almost reach its full size within the second or third season after planting from an S & J Tree Farm and Nursery container.

Stokesia Mary Gregory Yellow Stokes Aster Bloom:

- One of my favorite Stokesia selections, Mary Gregory has large 3 inch soft buttery yellow blooms.

 - Remove spent flowers individually or the entire stem to prolong blooming period.

Stokesia Mary Gregory Yellow Stokes Aster Water Requirements:

- Moderate

- Water daily for 2-3 weeks after planting and weekly during hot dry summers for established plants.

Butterfly or Bird Attracting:

- Stokes Asters are butterfly attracting.

Best Uses For Stokesia Mary Gregory Yellow Stokes Aster in the Northeast Florida | Jacksonville | St. Augustine area garden:

- Stokesia is an excellent Florida native perennial selection for the Northeast Florida | Jacksonville | St. Augustine area landscape.

 -  Low maintenance, compact form and lots of color make it a garden staple that everyone should find a place for in the garden.

- Plant in masses around a bird bath or other accent for a beautiful and graceful display of blooms.

- Plant along the edge of a walkway or path for an added pop of color to lead you on your way.

- Excellent front of the border planting for an instant cottage garden feel.

Care of Stokesia Mary Gregory Yellow Stokes Aster in the Northeast Florida | Jacksonville | St. Augustine area landscape:

- Dig and divide plant every few years or as needed for additional garden plants.

- Water every day during the establishment period after planting in the garden from a nursery container. And at least weekly during hot dry summer months.

- Prune out old foliage each spring or as needed any time of the year to maintain plants tidy appearance.

 - Remove spent blooms to prolong flowering season.

- Fertilize each spring with a handful of garden compost or a mixture of Milorganite and a slow release poly coated plant food such as Osmocote or Stay Green general purpose plant food or 10-10-10.

Check out these other S & J Nursery Stokesia laevis / Stokes Aster

perennial plant selections....

Stokesia Klaus Jelitto

Stokesia White Surprise

Stokesia Good-N-Purple

Stokesia laevis Blue

Stokesia Purple Parasols

Click here to open a new window for more information on

Stokesia Mary Gregory Yellow Stokes Aster

from the Missouri Botanical Garden.