White Lights Rhododendron (Azalea) vs Smooth Aster - TreeTime.ca

White Lights Rhododendron (Azalea) vs Smooth Aster

Rhododendron x White Lights

Symphyotrichum laeve

CUSTOM GROW

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

White Lights Rhododendron (Azalea)
Smooth Aster

White Lights Rhododendron is part of the Northern Lights Series, cold hardy, and deciduous. In late spring you'll be drawn to its fragrant white blooms. In fall, the foliage turns a beautiful purple-bronze color. Pruning is recommended after the flowers are spent to control the size and shape of this shrub.

White Lights Rhododendron should be your next hedge/screen, or plant it on its own as a specimen plant.

Smooth Aster is a native perennial wildflower known for its violet-blue, daisy-like flowers. They bloom later in the season, from late summer to early fall. The flowers attract a variety of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. It also serves as a host plant for the Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis) and Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos) butterflies, further enhancing its ecological value. This easy-to-grow wildflower is well suited for native wildflower gardens, pollinator gardens, and naturalization projects.

The Smooth Aster’s non-aggressive root system allows it to spread slowly, and it is more likely to reproduce by seed, which can be controlled through deadheading.

White Lights Rhododendron (Azalea) Quick Facts

Smooth Aster Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 3a
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: very fast
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Suckering: low
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium

Toxicity: All parts of a rhododendron bush, including the leaves, stems and blooms, are toxic to cats, dogs, and horses.

Flowers: white with pink blush
Flowers: purplish-blue; daisy-like
Bloom time: late summer to early fall
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON
Other Names: glaucous aster, smooth blue aster