October Skies Aster
Aster oblongifolius 'October Skies'
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October Skies Aster is backordered and will ship as soon as it is back in stock.
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Delivery and Shipping
Delivery and Shipping
Delivery and Shipping
Fast, Safe Plant Delivery
Ships in 3-4 business days • Tracking provided • Weather protected
Under $50 | $9.99 |
$50 - $99.99 | $14.99 |
$100 - $149.99 | $16.99 |
$150+ | $24.99 |
✓ Zone-specific timing • ✓ Professional packaging • ✓ Health guarantee
Understanding Plant Options
Nature Hills offers plants in two main formats:
- Container Plants: Grown in pots with soil, sized by container volume and plant age
- Bare Root Plants: Dormant plants without soil, sized by height measurements
Container Plant Sizes
Container sizes indicate plant age and growing capacity rather than liquid volume equivalents. Our containers follow industry-standard nursery "trade gallon" specifications, which differ from standard liquid gallon measurements.
Young Plants (6 months to 18 months old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
2" x 2" x 3" | 0.18 - 0.21 dry quarts | 0.20 - 0.23 dry liters |
4" Container | 0.31 - 0.87 dry quarts | 0.35 - 0.96 dry liters |
4.5" Container | 0.65 dry quarts | 0.72 dry liters |
6" Container | 1.4 dry quarts | 1.59 dry liters |
1 Quart | 1 dry quart | 1.1 dry liters |
5.5" Container | 1.89 dry quarts | 2.08 dry liters |
Established Plants (18 months to 2.5 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
2 Quart | 2 dry quarts | 2.2 dry liters |
#1 Container | 2.26 - 3.73 dry quarts | 2.49 - 4.11 dry liters |
5" x 5" x 12" | 3.5 - 4.3 dry quarts | 3.85 - 4.74 dry liters |
Mature Plants (2-4 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
#2 Container | 1.19 - 1.76 dry gallons | 5.24 - 7.75 dry liters |
#3 Container | 2.15 - 2.76 dry gallons | 8.14 - 12.16 dry liters |
Large Plants (3-5 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
#5 Container | 2.92 - 4.62 dry gallons | 12.86 - 20.35 dry liters |
#6 Container | 5.25 - 6.01 dry gallons | 23.12 - 26.42 dry liters |
#7 Container | 5.98 - 6.53 dry gallons | 26.34 - 28.76 dry liters |
Bare Root Plants
Bare root plants are sold by height from the root system to the top of the plant. Plants may exceed minimum height requirements.
Common Sizes:
- Trees: 1 foot, 2 feet, 3 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet, 6 feet
- Shrubs & Perennials: 1 foot, 18 inches, 2 feet
Important Notes
Container Volume Specifications
- Trade Gallon Standard: Our containers follow industry-standard "trade gallon" specifications established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI Z60.1) for nursery stock
- Volume Variations: Actual soil volume may vary due to plant root systems and growing medium settlement
- Age Indicators: Container size primarily indicates plant age and maturity rather than liquid volume equivalents
Growing Conditions
- Plant size can vary based on variety and growing conditions
- Container size helps indicate plant maturity and establishment level
- Larger containers generally mean more established root systems and faster landscape establishment
Seasonal Availability
- Bare root plants are available seasonally when dormant
- Container plants are available throughout the growing season
- Specific varieties may have limited availability in certain sizes
Questions?
For questions about specific plant sizes or availability, please contact our plant experts who can help you choose the right size for your landscape needs.
Plant Highlights
October Skies Aster highlights at a glance!
Specifications
Specifications
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Brand
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Botanical Name
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Growing Zones
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Mature Height
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Mature Spread
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Sun ExposureFull Sun
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Moisture
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Soil
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Growth RateMedium
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Flower Color
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Pollinator Friendly
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Pollinator Required
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Pruning Time
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Bloom PeriodSummer, Fall

Growing Zones 3-8
Get long-lasting prolific color and massive butterfly attraction in the fall! But it's not just about the butterflies... Are you kidding? Of course, it's all about the butterflies! Though they are one amazing visual benefits that October Skies Aster (Aster oblongifolius 'October Skies') delivers to your late-season landscape!
Asters are an extremely important nectar source for butterflies late in the season. Showy, long-lived blooms feed hungry animals from late summer, through fall up to frost. Let's talk about those open, inviting, tender, lavender-blue blooms, which are shaped like a delicate Daisy. They feature a sweet yellow spotlight right in the center, which can be kind of hard to see, due to the sheer number of butterflies flitting from flower to flower!
One of the last plants to bloom in the season, and it is usually in full swing after the worst of the summer heat has passed. Smart gardeners plan for fall because they know they'll LOVE entertaining outside surrounded by flowers - 'flying flowers' that is - without breaking a sweat. Hardy throughout USDA arctic zone 3 through mild zone 8, these have all the native adaptability and hardiness you'd expect from these wildflower cousins! Deer even leave them untouched!
Planting and Application:
This is a dwarf variety, much more compact than the species. It won't flip or flop on you. It stays put and blooms its head off for you. This has a mounding habit, so you could place it near the edge of garden beds or use it as the filler in containers. Add seasonal décor to front entry pots and patio planters! Container gardeners without a yard or yard space can enjoy these late-season living decorations in windowboxes and balcony planters!
In the landscape, any garden with a couple of Asters in it becomes a pollinator garden! Vital nectar resources right when pollinators and bees need them most! Enliven your cottage and cut flower gardens, use as edging along paths, foundation plantings or around a statue or urn to further highlight it! Great facer plants and polite mounded growth look great when mixed among other perennials, ornamental grasses and edging garden borders!
- Cheerful Lavender-Blue Blooms
- Native Cultivar Selection
- Bee & Butterfly Magnet
- Fall Color Mainstay Wildflower
- Containers & Planters, Beds & Borders, Edging & Fall Décor
#ProPlantTips for Care:
Super easy care when grown in moist, these herbaceous perennials prefer well-drained soil and full sun. Plant Asters in moderately moist to low moisture soil and a healthy bed of mulch to keep its roots cool and hydrated. This Aster doesn't like to dry out in the summer heat. Pinching back the stem tips in late spring and early summer will produce denser growth and heavier blooming. This plant may be divided every few years in the spring.
- Full Sun Loving
- Adaptable Cold & Heat Hardy
- Moderate Moisture & Well-Drained Soils
- Pinch Back in Late Spring/Early Summer
- Deer Seldom Bother Them
Darling little plants with incredible versatility and adaptability in the landscape, you'll be glad you chose the October Skies Aster from Nature Hills Nursery! You Butterflies will be glad you did too!