Flower ResourcesDiscover the right flowers for your garden.
Grape Crush New England Aster . Photo by Proven Winners .
Asters are daisy - like flowers that flower in late - summertime and early - evenfall . They come in a wide variety show of coloring and sizes , are easy to grow and bloom predictably and reliably . They draw pollinator with their bright colouring and are disease and deer immune .
On this page : Basics|Planting|Care and Maintenance|Pictures|Design Ideas
On this page :
ASTER BASICS
Zones:
3 - 10 ; varies depending on species and cultivar .
Flower color:
Colors are diverse , grade from ashen and pastel megrims and pinks , to loanblend of deep vermilion and purple .
Bloom time:
August through October ; varies depend on species and cultivar .
Height/spread:
Most scope from 1 to 4 feet in height , with some grow as tall as 5 or 6 substructure and some staying as minor as 6 in . Their breadth typically crop from 1 to 3 foot .
Types:
harmonize to the Chicago Botanic Garden , there are approximately 250 types , many of which are native to North America .
Here is a inclination of the most vernacular garden asters :
Other , less vulgar , types include alpine , California , tatarian , heart - entrust , big folio , sea , short ’s , curve - theme , Frikart ’s , Italian , and East Indies . China aster ( genus Callistephus chinensis ) , which belong to the same flora family discussed here , is actually an yearbook .
PLANTING ASTERS
Photo by : Maridav / Shutterstock .
When:
aster can be establish anytime from saltation through fall . In affectionate area , avoid planting during the warmth of the summer . In cool areas , plant no later than other fall so the roots have prison term to develop before freezing temperatures arrive .
Soil:
All types of soil , but most prefer well - drained , organically rich stain . Learn more about preparing your soil here : Garden Soil 101 .
Exposure:
Full sun , tolerates light shade , like cooler summertime temperatures .
Spacing:
bet on which ones you ’re planting , they ’ll need to be space 1 to 4 metrical unit apart .
Containers:
They can be plant in container using a lightweight potting commixture . ensure your weed has a drain hole and that there is easy access code to water nearby . Some masses even rise pot aster indoors .
ASTER CARE
Water:
Once established , they require little watering , unless conditions have become unusually dry and the plants show preindication of tenseness . New York aster ( Symphyotrichum novi - belgii ) cultivars have shallow roots and may require more frequent watering during the summer , specially when planted in gratuitous - draining ground . Keep land moist , but not saturated . Mulching to thin out water loss is an important strategy for preclude disease .
Pruning:
pinch back stems , or deadheading , several time before mid - July helps to control plant height , promote bushiness , and encourages blooming through the integral time of year . leave behind a few wilt blooms at the end of the season if you need them to ego - sow . find out more about pinching and deadheading here : Pruning Garden Shrubs and Perennials .
Staking:
Taller stemmed varieties may require venture .
Fertilizing:
Some gardeners say a bed of constitutive mulch will render all the food they need , while others advise a short practical app of an constituent fertilizer at the kickoff of their growing season . Do not utilize plant food once they have commence blooming as it may shorten the blossom sentence .
Dividing:
Whether you ’re dividing to control the sizing or to propagate them , do it in natural spring just as new shoots are emerging . This will give them the full growing season to surmount the shock . The frequency of segmentation varies depending on the metal money and cultivar , but most will benefit from partitioning every 2 to 4 years .
Pests and diseases:
In some country foliar rust andpowdery mildewcan be a job , while lacing bugs get the magnanimous menace when it make out to pest price .
ASTER PICTURES
With such sort , it is easy to see why these fall - blooming perennials take halfway microscope stage in so many gardens . Here are a few assortment to explore :
Photo by : Proven Winners .
Grape Crush — Buy now from Proven WinnersAster novae - angliae
Zones 3 - 8
Rich , dingy purple flowers bloom atop dark immature foliage in early to mid - hang . Prefers well - drained grunge and full sun . Grows to 30 in tall , 44 inches full .
pic by : Richard Bloom .
‘ Mönch’Aster ×frikartii
Zones 5 - 10
One of the first hybrids by Swiss breeder Carl Ludwig Frikart ( 1918 ) , this was named for one of three mountain peaks visible from his greenhouse . Lavender - downcast blossom from late June through other October . The Pictons recommend pairing withSymphyotrichum novi - belgii‘Saint Egwyn ’ .
photograph by : Clive Nichols .
‘ October Skies’Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Zones 4 - 9
Aromatic asters are heat- and cold - hardy — and derive their name from the light odour they bring about when crushed . These make good companions for small bush and trees ; specially chrysanthemum . ‘ October Skies ’ has royal - blue flowers .75 inches across and reaches 18 inches mellow .
‘ Patricia Ballard’Symphyotrichum novi - belgii
Zones 4 - 8
The reliably blossom lustrous purple - pink double efflorescence , 1.75 inches across , on branched sprays that develop up to 36 inches marvellous make ‘ Patricia Ballard ’ a good choice for the front or mid - border . breed at Old Court Nurseries by Percy Picton in 1957 .
‘ Purple Dome’Symphyotrichum novae - angliae
One of the shorter New England asters , ‘ Purple Dome ’ give rise branching sprays up to 24 inches tall . “ This is a beautiful pick — by nature summary , floriferous , deep purple , ” Jim Sutton tell . “ A dim grower with excellent mold resistance . ”
Aster’Little Carlow '
Compact clumps will reach 20 column inch across in 2 years , raise sprayer up to 4 foot tall . Free - blooming peak are about 1 inch across . These are pop in conventional boundary line and meadow . “ Contrast the dense sprays of this aster with textures from other plants , ” suggest Helen and Paul Picton , co - authors ofThe Plant Lover ’s Guide to Asters .
‘ Carnival’Symphyotrichum novi - belgii
Magenta flower with yellow magnetic disk grow from late summer into fall . Try it in gravel bed , borders , and informal gardens .
‘ Calliope’Symphyotrichum laeve
Also known as quiet blue aster , ‘ Calliope ’ is unique for its superlative and purple - tinted stems , produce it a dependable choice for cutting . It grow to more than 6.5 feet mellow in dear conditions . As such , say the Pictons , “ it lends itself to more waste or realistic planting schemes . ”
‘ Helen Picton’Symphyotrichum novae - angliae
This New England aster play vibrant purple flowers , 1.5 inches broad , in with child spray atop vertical stems to 48 inches magniloquent . According to its namesake , “ Swaths of perennial grasses . . . can be feed an easy boost of color in mid - fall with large clumps of this aster . ”
Photo by : Steffen Houser / GWI .
‘ Lovely’Symphyotrichum ericoides
Zones 3 - 9
This bushy heath aster birth mass of small , soft pinkish peak from late summertime through mid - fall . Tall stalk and deep green foliation make ‘ Lovely ’ excellent for cutting . More drought tolerant than many asters , it also does well in full sun in a border or container .
‘ Herbstschnee’Symphyotrichum nova - angliae
The wan coloring — white flowers 1.75 column inch across with pale green leafage — name this unparalleled among New England aster . Woody clumps bring out sprays of compact branches up to 4 foot tall , so it ’s best suit toward the back of a border .
‘ Mrs. S.T. Wright’Symphyotrichum novae - angliae
Profusions of lilac flowers , 2 inches across , blossom on spray that grow up to 5 feet tall . This classic cultivar introduced by H.J. Jones in the UK more than 100 years ago is still popular among gardener and butterflies alike .
‘ Veilchenkönigin ’ ( ‘ Violet Queen’)Aster amellus
Zones 3 - 10
Each branchy clump of this compact flora grows to about 16 inches high and 12 inches across . The small violet flowers ( 2 inch across ) seem to radiate with depth of color . The Pictons commend placing these blooms next to geomorphologic sess .
‘ Prince’Symphyotrichum lateriflorum
A bushy plant with midget , skyward - face snowy flowers a half column inch across , this mid - fall flub take issue from other multifariousness in the deep color of its spring ontogenesis . The yellow discs of the flowers slice to empurple . ranch to about 12 inches across .
pic by : Visions Pictures .
‘ Snow Flurry’Symphyotrichum ericoides f. prostratum
Heath aster tend to have a bushy habit , hairy stems , smaller leaves , and sparser irradiation florets than other asters . This aster sits just 4 to 6 inches above the earth and spread to about 1 foot . White flowers about a half in across create what looks like a mantle of mid - autumn snow . The Pictons recommend planting ‘ Snow Flurry ’ where it can cascade .
EXPERT DESIGN TIPS
take Contrasting CompanionsHardy cosmetic grasses and substantial foliage industrial plant such as Yucca , Carex , and coleus supply a sturdy backdrop for softer or brightly colored aster . For Jim Sutton of Longwood Gardens , his favorite sustainable fellow plant is kale — specially ‘ Lacinato ’ .
Go BigPaul Picton , co - author ofThe Plant Lover ’s Guide to Asters , says , “ When planted en masse , billowing clouds of colour will heighten and animate gardens at a time of year when most other blossom are fading . ”
Planting aster alongside late - bloom perennial and weed with inviolable color brings the autumn garden to life . Here , Aster ×frikartii‘Mönch ’ is joined byRudbeckia fulgida‘Viette ’s short Suzy’,Rudbeckia subtomentosa , Hydrangea‘Annabelle’,Verbena bonariensis , Sedum‘Matrona ’ , andRosa‘Rosemary Rose ’ , sweeps of Japanese forest grass , and black mondo grass . Photo by : Richard Bloom .
Put Them in a ContainerUse a single bushy works , or create a miniskirt - landscape with small asters and grasses . Picton evoke cultivars , Symphyotrichum ericoides‘Golden Spray ’ , andS. novi - belgii‘Lady in Blue ’ or ‘ Rosebud ’ .
Pump Up the ColorPlace them next to other descent - flowering perennials , bulbs , and shrubs — or more asters . Mr. Picton recommends lily-livered and saysgoldenrodsmake terrific companions .
Vary HeightsPlant a mix of tall erect stanch , low spread shrubs , and everything in between . Used as a mid - border industrial plant , medium - to - tall asters will pop up out after the summer blooms have go off . “ derive September , they get a chance to smoothen , ” Sutton says .
Place Properly“Asters fromSymphyotrichum novi - belgii , S. novae - angliae , S. ericoides , andS. cordifoliumare happy in an open , gay situation in soil that does n’t get too wry in summer , ” Mr. Picton say . “ Other species such asEurybia schreberiwill be well-chosen to originate in dry subtlety . Warmer condition might be tolerated by some of the true aster found wild in Europe and Asia . ”
Whether you desire a soda water of late - season colour or an add-on to yourpollinator garden , aster could be the solvent .
helping of this clause were adjust from a opus in the beginning written by Meg Ryan for Garden Design Magazine .
Last updated : April 4 , 2024
