The Garden Guy used to drive Mississippi's High-way 49 from Hattiesburg to Gulfport to fall in love with the native Stokes aster. They aren't just native to Mississippi but found throughout the South. I have loved them at homes I have owned and in places like the Columbus Botanical Garden when I was director.
I promise you will be stoked over a new variety making its debut next year. Totally Stoked is a new series courtesy of North Carolina State University breeding and Proven Winners' ability not only to recognize what this plant has to offer but then to get it in production in a major way. All over the country, gardeners, garden clubs and butterfly lovers clamor for native plants, and Totally Stoked will quench this thirst in several different ways.
The Garden Guy has been trialing it, and it has been nothing short of sheer joy. First know there are two colors: Totally Stoked Whitecaps and Totally Stoked Riptide. Yes, there is a white and the blue that we all long for in the garden.
So far, I have had eastern tiger swallowtails, pipevine swallowtails, American lady, gray hairstreak and fiery skippers all partaking of the nectar. Not too many plants can challenge the intricate structure and beauty of the passion flower, but the Stokes aster will leave the novice and the seasoned gardener alike totally mesmerized, or should we say Totally Stoked? Even The Garden Guy was spellbound looking at the photo I took of the Totally Stoked Whitecaps. The flowers are also huge, reaching.