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.
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