Awesome Asters

The best ones have strong habits and disease resistance, and they end the season with a bang

What would fall be like without asters ? Boring , that ’s what . Thankfully , I live in a place with a plethora of aboriginal asters that dot and decorate roadsides , fields , woodland , and uncivilized space . Their omnipresent nature sometimes saddles them with the report of looking too wild , and while you might get your fix of asters from these borrowed landscape , I would n’t want to be without their gay flowers in my garden , as well . Asters pit the changing season in a pageant of colors , fuse attractively with an assortment of grasses and other tardy - showing perennial .

Aster ( the Greek countersign for “ star ” ) is so - list for the starburst issue of its daisylike bloom , but I wish to think that its stellar flowered show has something to do with it , too . The botanical name of this autumnal star has changed from the simplicity ofAsterto tongue twisters such asDoellengeria , Eurybia , andSymphyotrichum — confound gardeners and professionals alike . rarify matter a fleck , the new figure have not been universally embraced ; the Royal Horticultural Society , for one , has not yet adopted the changes , but many botanical gardens , native - works societies , and nurseries have already made the permutation . perhaps more important than know the Romance name of a given plant is knowing if it is , in fact , a “ headliner ” or one of the many asters that , instead , become a disease - infest muckle by midseason .

At a Glance: ‘Jindai’ Tatarian aster (photo above)

USDA Hardiness Zones:4 to 8

Conditions : Full sun to partial shade ; moderately fertile , moist , well - drained soil

Season : bloom appear from late summertime through fall .

generation : Divide in springtime , every two to three year .

Pests : Verticillium wilt disease , gray mold , powdery mold , rust , lily-white carbon black , aster yellows , and many fungal leaf dapple and base cankers . Also prone to rosy blister cheekiness , aphids , hint , lick , snail , and nematodes .

Without flowers,‘Jindai ’ Tatarian aster(Aster tataricus‘Jindai ’ ) might be difficult to peg as an aster . Coarse basal foliage , about 2 feet foresighted , look like those of horseradish or tobacco . Flowering stems start to develop in midsummer , eventually pass up to 4 foot tall — that ’s a good 2 to 3 fundament shorter than the species . amount fall , its derivation is no longer in dubiety : Clusters of pretty purple - blue - and - sensationalistic flush bloom well into late crepuscle and sometimes even early winter . The metal money has a reputation for spreading wide , and even though ‘ Jindai ’ makes a sizable dapple in a few year , I have not find it to be a thug . Bold - textured ‘ Jindai ’ partner off well with small - allow for asters or any ornamental eatage , be it forgetful or tall .

Top performersthat are worth a second look

One of the brokenheartedness of our run was the deficiency of winner in overwintering any cultivar of Frikart ’s daisy ( Aster×frikartii ) ; they all balk at our wet winter soils . Luckily , we detect that‘Wartburgstern ’ East Indies aster(Aster tongolensis‘Wartburgstern ’ ) is a hardy substitute . Vibrant , purple - blue heyday with hopeful orange centre of attention hover 20 inches above the low mat of dark immature leaves , which remain attractive all summertime . Although ‘ Wartburgstern ’ ( or ‘ Wartburg Star ’ , as it is often call ) is name as blooming all summertime , we saw flowers for only about a month from ahead of time to June 21 . Sure , the shorter heyday period was unsatisfying , but that only made the flowers all the more precious .

The low mounding habit of‘Snow Flurry ’ white heath aster(Symphyotrichum ericoides‘Snow Flurry ’ ) sets it aside from other aster . Its arching stems seem to cockle across the ground , make nearly 4 animal foot encompassing but only 8 inches marvelous . ‘ Snow Flurry ’ makes a superb priming coat cover or edge flora , but it is arrant perfection cascading over the edge of a wall or a container . No description of the diminutive flowers can do justice to the existent show : A veritable blizzard of blank bloom blanket the stems in fall . The tiny linear leaf are more reminiscent of heaths ( Ericaspp . and cvs . , Zones 5–11 ) than of asters . ‘ Snow Flurry ’ is also broad of wry conditions .

‘ Raydon ’s Favorite ’ aromatic aster(Symphyotrichum oblongifolium‘Raydon ’s Favorite ’ ) was fairly uncommon when we implant it but quickly became a perennial favourite in our trial . The plant is load with blue - purple blossom that keep come out for a recollective clip ; in fact , the plant is so eager to get going that precocious flower pop up for several weeks before blossom begins in earnest in midsummer . A billowy habit gives ‘ Raydon ’s Favorite ’ an intimate tone that suits it to mass planting and naturalizing . Aromatic aster are better alternatives to New England asters ( Symphyotrichum nova - angliae ) because they are more resistant to powdery mildew . I think aromatic aster will dally an crucial role in future plant breeding for disease - insubordinate cultivar and hybrids .

‘ Eastern Star ’ livid wood aster(Eurybia divaricata‘Eastern Star ’ ) is one of the few asters that develop well in suspicious gardens , although some morning Sunday heighten its floral show . From midsummer on , smallish livid flower with yellow centers are carry aplenty on wiry , dark burgundy stem over dark green leaves . you could require an good mound habit , like to the species , but the cultivar ‘ Eastern Star ’ features larger flowers and dark green leaf . Its curve stems were a chip more recumbent , too , especially when weighed down with flush . blanched woods aster is peculiarly fetch in large drifts in high - shade landscape .

It was a friend who told me that‘Kylie ’ aster(Symphyotrichum‘Kylie ’ ) , a hybrid of New England aster and heath aster , was a must - have for my trial . ‘ Kylie ’ seems to have catch the best of both parents , with minute , dark fleeceable leaf — free of rust fungus and mildew — and a full-bodied clop habit . To be honest , the healthy foliage was quick leave by autumn , when ‘ Kylie ’ turned into a soft pinkish swarm with scores of little semidouble bloom crowd the summit of the erect stems . Every twelvemonth , ‘ Kylie ’ got both the butterfly vote and mine , proving that sometimes it pays to take a friend ’s advice .

My first impression of‘Doktor Otto Petschek ’ Italian aster(Aster amellus‘Doktor Otto Petschek ’ ) as just another lavender - flowered aster was way off — as was the feeling that it was bring up after a shackle villain . efflorescence by the century cloaked this compact clumper for week every fall , looking arresting and remain levelheaded when many other asters were moth-eaten or floppy . ‘ Doktor Otto Petschek ’ delivered year after year and is clear a great disease - resistant alternative to New England and New York asters ( Symphyotrichum novi - belgii ) . Italian asters , in general , like a lot of Sunday and want skilful drainage to stay healthy ; cool night temperature are also preferred .

‘ Lady in Black ’ calico aster(Symphyotrichum lateriflorum‘Lady in Black ’ ) has a graceful profile with thin , stringy stems that arch out and over the big shaggy plant . spray of bloodless blossoms , just shy of half an inch across , overcompensate the upper side of the horizontal branches in late summer . It ’s hard not to get excited when the Modern leaves emerge bronze and then , astonishingly , remain a strong purple all summer ( full sun is essential to get the best color ) . Calico aster gets its name because the yellow disks at the shopping center of the flowers change to purplish pink as they maturate — a pleasing color replication with the violet leaves of ‘ Lady in Black ’ . While calico asters were unafraid by mildew , rabbits were tough to keep at bay .

Basics

Asters, in a nutshell

There are roughly 250 coinage of asters that are native to North America , Europe , and Asia . Although fairly omnipresent , they are not without their challenges .

partition keeps plants healthy

Fast growers , such as New England aster , New York aster , calico aster , and flat - topped aster ( Doellingeria umbellata ) , profit from crown segmentation every few years in other leaping or autumn to invigorate the plants and keep them shapely . If left alone , the industrial plant will die out in the centers .

A new enemy is on the free

Chrysanthemum lace microbe ( Corythucha marmorata ) , which became a problem in our trial in just the past few geezerhood , sucks nutrient from aster leaves , turning them sickly and off - colorise . Severely infest plant drop most of their leaves and sometimes do n’t recuperate . Only chemical substance controls , unfortunately , seem to be efficacious in combatting these pests .

Shade is n’t necessarily an issue

Asters by and large develop good in moist , well - debilitate soils with plenty of sunshine . Woodland asters , such as blue Sir Henry Wood aster ( Symphyotrichum cordifolium ) , Drummond ’s aster ( S. drummondii ) , snowy wood aster ( Eurybia divaricata ) , and bigleaf aster ( E. macrophylla ) , suffer mysterious shade but will produce the beneficial flower displays with some daybreak Sunday .

punt ’em or fleece ’em

Tall asters might need stake , particularly in shady or windy sites , but can be sheared to half their height in early to tardy give to keep them shorter . Deadheading , while not postulate , will trim down unwanted seedling .

desire disease - free plants ? Stay away from New England and New York

Powdery mildew and rust fungus are potentially withering diseases on some aster — marring farewell and sapping plant energy . affect plant life might swing their leaves , have slim flower output , and just calculate shabby . cultivar of New England aster were more troubled by powdery mold in our trial , whereas cultivars and hybrids of New York aster were rarely rusting - free .

Up-and-Comersto Check Out

‘ halt Development ’ aster(Aster‘Arrested Development ’ ) is a new introduction note for its forgetful size . I ’ve revel its deep lilac - dark flowers whenever I can get it in bloom — I have to be one step ahead of the rabbits , though . It vaunt an former - fall bloom day of the month , a fact that we find for the preceding two days , when as if on pool cue , the flower opened on September 18 . It is dry that rabbits kept nibble at the tips , thus arresting its evolution even further . Our plants go past out at 9 in grandiloquent and 15 inches wide of the mark due to repeated browsing , but ‘ Arrested Development ’ should touch a bushy 12 to 15 inch tall and wide-eyed — without competition , of track .

Given our affinity for ‘ Raydon ’s Favorite ’ , we naturally had high expectations for‘Raydon ’s Birthday Pink ’ aromatic aster(Symphyotrichum oblongifolium‘Raydon ’s Birthday Pink ’ ) , and it did not disappoint . The first precocious flower showed up in tardy summer , as if they just could n’t wait for the party to begin . An exceptional display of light pinkish bloom , 1½ inches across , could be counted on from early to midfall . ‘ Raydon ’s Birthday Pink ’ formed robust bushy mounds up to 32 column inch tall and a whopping 84 inches wide , outpacing ‘ Raydon ’s Favorite ’ by 30 inch . Mildew was no issue , but plants were minimally infested with lace bugs .

‘ Bridal Veil ’ aster(Symphyotrichum‘Bridal Veil ’ ) has its origin at the Chicago Botanic Garden ; it was selected from a hybridisation between ‘ Snow Flurry ’ and an obscure aster . ‘ Bridal Veil ’ has upwards - arching stem that at last turn pendulous , developing a graceful crying drug abuse as the season pass on . Living up to its name , the fine - textured , cascading stem are thick with ½-inch - diameter ashen blossom from former dip on . At 40 in improbable and 68 inches wide , ‘ Bridal Veil ’ takes up some distance , but its organic habit is worth it . Add mould resistance as well as drought and salt allowance to the mixture and ‘ Bridal Veil ’ is everlasting for both urban and realistic gardens .

We all know that fall is the prison term of asters , but‘Napsbury ’ East Indies aster(Aster tongolensis‘Napsbury ’ ) did n’t get the memorandum . Pretty lavender - and - orangeness flowers , 2½ inches across , rise above rose window of drear gullible leaf for a calendar month , starting in early summertime . East Indies aster like relatively fertile , moist soils with good drainage , and will soak up all the Sunday you give them but wo n’t bear in mind a bite of refinement , too . At 14 inches tall and 20 in wide , blank space ‘ Napsbury ’ right at the front of the border to revel its fleeting summer show to the full .

Aster Trial Results

Trial Parameters

How many : Since 2003 , the Chicago Botanic Garden has pass judgment 145 different asters in our relative trials .

How long : A minimum of six years

Zone:5b

Conditions : Full sun to full shade ; alkaline , Henry Clay - loam , well - drained soil

Care : Minimal , allow plants to thrive or neglect under raw weather

Observations : Ornamental traits ; growth and adaptation to environmental and soil conditions ; disease or pest problems ; plant combat injury or winter losses

paygrade tonality

★ ★ ★ ★ fantabulous

★ ★ ★ Good

★ ★ Fair

★ piteous

Richard Hawke is the plant - evaluation managing director at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe , Illinois .

SOURCES

The following chain mail - order plant sellers proffer many of the asters feature :

•Far Reaches Farm , Port Townsend , Wash. ; 360 - 385 - 5114 ; farreachesfarm.com

•Joy Creek Nursery , Scappoose , Ore. ; 503 - 543 - 7474 ; joycreek.com

•Lazy S ’S Farm Nursery,2360 Spotswood Trail , Barboursville , VA 22923 ; lazyssfarm.com

•Stokes Seeds , Buffalo , N.Y. ; 800 - 396 - 9238 ; stokeseeds.com

For the complete chart of results from the aster trial , go toFineGardening.com/extras .

Photos , except where noted : Danielle Sherry . Other photo : Nancy J. Ondra ; good manners of Forestfarm ; Jennifer Benner .

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