Stokesia is a useful hardy perennial boasting resilience, versatility and lashings of old-fashioned charm. From July to September, strong windproof stems of up to 50cm are topped with Cornflower-shaped blooms, offering a tempting feast to passing pollinators. The upright stems are naturally branching, delivering multiple blooms per stem above neat clumps of leaves that remain evergreen in mild winters. Stoke’s Aster has superb vase life as a cut flower and can also be dried for everlasting displays.

Originating from the scrubby savannas of North America, it flourishes in open sunny spots on moist but free draining soil. Stokesia thrives in slightly acidic conditions, but also copes well in any light soil, making an adaptable addition to borders and patio pots. Once established, it needs virtually no maintenance, rewarding you year after year with a mass of vibrant blooms.

A natural choice for wildlife areas, Stokesia melds beautifully into mosaics of grasses and prairie favourites like Rudbeckia and Helianthus. With a close resemblance to Cornflowers, it fits equally well into cottage garden schemes, dotted between other summer perennials, or planted en masse for a dramatic sweep of long-lasting colour.

How to plant:

— Stokesia are supplied as bare roots in spring for planting between February and May. They must be planted soon after delivery as they do not survive for long without light and moisture. If you can't plant on the day of delivery, remove the roots from the packaging and place in a bowl of water outdoors to soak, then plant within a week.

— Stokesia are hardy to around -10C and don’t require and frost protection. It is not recommended to plant bare root Stokesia directly into a border as they can struggle to settle into garden soil as dormant bare roots. Additionally, there are various other factors which can cause them to fail when planted directly into borders. They should be potted up and positioned outside to grow on through spring, then transplanted to borders later in the season when they are more established.

— If your Stoke's Aster is intended for a border, pot up into a 15-20cm diameter temporary pot using multipurpose compost. Ensure the full root system is submerged below the soil surface. The buds at the top of the root system should be level with the soil surface after planting. If supplied later in spring, they may have some shoots/leaves which should be left exposed above the soil surface. Water thoroughly after planting.

— Stokesia can also grow well in patio containers. You can plant directly into a 25-30cm+ diameter patio container filled with good quality multipurpose compost as described above for potting up.

— If potting up, grow-on in a sheltered spot outdoors in their temporary pots during spring, this will give them an easy start and then they can be transferred into a border later in the season once the plant is more established with a stronger root system. The plant will be ready to transfer once roots begin to emerge from the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot and when the plant easily comes out of the pot with the soil held together by the roots.

— When your Stokesia plants are ready to transfer into a border, choose an open, sunny spot on moist but free draining soil. Stokesia particularly enjoys slightly acidic conditions, but will thrive on any light, free-draining soil. Allow the compost in the pot to dry out slightly before removing from the pot, this will help prevent the soil from falling from the roots during transfer. Space the plants 30cm apart if planting a group. Add multipurpose compost to each planting hole to help the new roots grow.

— Keep a close eye on your new Stokesia for pest damage and keep space clear around the young plant, removing weeds and also excess growth from neighbouring plants to reduce competition. Ensure the soil remains slightly moist around new plants, particularly during the first growing season.

— This perennial is hardy and does not require winter protection in most areas. In very cold areas, it is recommended to apply mulch around young Stokesia to help protect them from severe weather during their first winter.

— When supplied in late spring, your Stokesia bare root is likely to have sprouted shoots or leaves already which may be pale in colour. Plant with the shoots/leaves exposed above the soil surface, they will soon green up and continue to grow.

Aftercare

— Deadhead individual Stokesia blooms after flowering to encourage more to grow later in the season.

— Stokesia requires an open, sunny position to flourish. Trim back over-hanging neighbouring plants to prevent Stokesia becoming over-shadowed throughout the growing season.

— Stokesia is an evergreen perennial, retaining its foliage in mild winters. New growth will emerge each spring. Trim away any the oldest foliage in spring as new growth starts to emerge.

— Stokesia will produce leaves in the first year and often a small display of flowers. If they do not produce flowers in the first year, providing they have grown healthy foliage they will start flowering well in the second year.

— Stokesia is a clump-forming perennial which grows back larger and with more stems each year.

— You can divide established clumps between autumn and early spring when needed.

— Read further general instructions about planting bare-root perennials