Get It Growing: Super Plant checks all the boxes and is easy to care for, too

When it comes to plants that demand minimal effort on the part of the gardener, you’d be hard pressed to find one that offers greater reward than stokesia.
Beautiful blooms all summer long, even when it’s really hot and sticky out there? Check. Pollinator attractor? Check. Long-lived and free of pest problems? Check and check.
For these reasons and more, LSU AgCenter horticulturists have named stokesia a Louisiana Super Plant for 2026.
Also known as Stoke’s aster, stokesia (Stokesia laevis) is native to Louisiana. It’s just beginning to bloom this time of year, and flowers will continue until September.
As a member of the aster or daisy family (Asteraceae), stokesia has that familiar flower structure of thin rays surrounding a central disc. Its nectar-rich blooms, which draw in bees and butterflies, arise on stalks above lush rosettes of narrow leaves. The foliage stays green and glossy through all seasons, including typical Louisiana winters, and can act as an attractive year-round ground cover.
Stokesia is a perennial that will put on a stunning display year after year. Clumps will grow larger over time and can be divided in late winter or early spring every few years, allowing you to spread stokesia to new areas of your garden or share plants with friends.
Space new plantings 18 to 24 inches apart to give them plenty of room. Plants reach 1 to 2 feet tall and 18 inches wide.
You can grow stokesia just about anywhere that gets full, or at least partial, sun. While this plant is adaptable to a variety of soil conditions, you should avoid planting it in soggy ground.
Wild, native stokesia has light, denim blue blooms. Popular cultivars include Mel’s Blue, which looks similar to the wild type; Peachie’s Pick, which features bluish-lavender flowers; and Honeysong Purple, which is a bright purple. Color Wheel’s multicolored blooms blend a spectrum of cool tones with white.
Breeding and selection work over the years has brought us other color choices, too, including yellow-flowered Mary Gregory and pure white Divinity.
When you notice spent flowers, cut off the entire bloom stalks. This will encourage the plant to produce more blooms and extend its color season.
Like many native plants, stokesia has few insect and disease issues. It’s even deer and rabbit resistant. It doesn’t need a lot of fertilizer; a single dose of balanced, general-purpose fertilizer in the spring will do.
To learn more about the program, visit www.LSUAgCenter.com/SuperPlants.