Asters

 

Asters

***Note that many of the aster scientific names have changed. The new names are in parentheses. It is very important to know this as many people study lists that use the new names.

Aster alpinus  - Native to Europe. June blooming. Needs full sun and good drainage. 12-24” tall

Aster ageratoides ‘Ezo Murasaki’ - Sweet aster. From Japan. Very late blooming, towards the end of October, one of the very last asters to bloom.
Deep purple flowers with yellow centers. A hard to find, excellent late blooming plant. Attracts many late season pollinators. 24” tall.

Aster amellus ‘Blue Autumn’ - Italian aster. 20” tall, blue daisies from late July through early fall on strong stems.

Aster cordifolius (Symphyotrichum cordifolium) - Blue wood aster. Native. This is an excellent plant for woodland and shade gardens but it WILL self-sow so you have to want it in your garden! Heart shaped leaves, light blue flowers. 2-3’ tall. Try pinching in June for a less floppy plant. ‘Avondale’ is a superior variety with large blue flowers. A pollinator magnet.

Aster divaricatus (Eurybia divaricata)
White wood aster. Native. This is a very fast spreading plant that will fill the woods with white flowers in September and October. Be sure you want this plant as it will self-sow like crazy. A great match with ferns. Will grow in the roots of trees. 18-24” tall. ‘Eastern Star’ is a popular selection with dark burgundy stems.

Aster dumosus (Symphyotrichum dumosum)
Bushy aster. Native. Very glossy leaves. Compact, mounded plants 15-18” tall.
‘Woods’ series- Woods Blue, Pink, Purple are superior varieties of bushy asters that grow 15-18” tall

Aster ericoides (Symphotrichum ericoides)
Heath aster. Native. This is a very fast spreading aster. It WILL self-sow a LOT!! A pollinator magnet for sun or partial shade. Pinching in June is a great way to have a bushy plant 2-3’ tall. Thousands of tiny white flowers in September into October. Leaves are thin and linear, thus the common name. Snow Flurry’ An incredible ground cover, a great landscape plant. Grows only 6-8” tall!
Covered with tiny white flowers in October. Tolerates partial shade well.

Aster x frikartii is a hybrid (A. amellus x A. thomsonii) June-August blooming, 2-3’ tall. European origin.

Aster laevis (Symphotrichum lavae)
Smooth aster. Native. Large, shiny leaves. The straight species grows 5-6’ tall and self-sows readily. Beautiful blue daisies in September into early October. Must be pinched in June. Grows in full sun or partial shade.‘Bluebird’ is an excellent variety that grows 3’ tall if pinched hard in June (recommended!) This will also self-sow. One of the best landscape plants.

Aster lateriflorus ‘Lady in Black’ (Symphyotrichum lateriflorum)
Calico aster. Native. New growth is dark burgundy. Stems are burgundy. A bit greener in summer, back to burgundy in fall. 3-4’ tall if pinched hard in June (recommended!). Attracts tons and tons of pollinators. October
blooming. Covered with thousands of tiny white daisies with raspberry centers. One of the best landscape plants. Full sun or dappled shade.

Aster linariifolius (Ionactis linariifolia)
Stiff-leaved aster. Native. A good choice for hot sun and lean, sandy soil. 1-2’ tall mound with light blue flowers July-September.

Aster ‘Little Carlow’ Blue aster. Native hybrid of A. novi-belgii and A. cordifolius. 2-3’ tall, Sept. blooming. A good blue.

Aster macrophyllus (Eurybia macrophylla)
Bigleaf aster. Native. Large, rounded leaves. This plant spreads slowly and is often found in partial shade under trees as a ground cover. ‘Twilight’ is an exceptional variety with blue flowers in flat-topped cluster 3’ tall from late July
into September. A good landscape plant.

Aster novae-angliae (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)
New England aster. Native. Commonly seen in fields and roadsides. Bloom in September. Very important nectar source for migrating monarchs. Foliage is rough and a bit hairy. Tall varieties must be pinched hard in June or they will flop. Most New England asters are tall. ‘Purple Dome’ and ‘Vibrant Dome’ are compact forms.

Aster novi-belgii (Symphyotrichum novi-belgii)
New York aster. Native. Very glossy leaves. Usually very compact, dwarf plants. September blooming.

Aster oblongifolius (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium)
Aromatic aster. Native. Very deer resistant. Very bushy. Small linear leaves. One of the best asters for the landscape. One hard pinch in June and it will form a 2 foot tall dense, rounded, bushy plant that is impervious to weeds. Leaves are a little bit sticky. Blue flowers in October (‘October Skies’) and late October/November (‘Raydon’s Favorite) One of the very best landscape plants.

Aster spectabilis (Eurybia spectabilis) Showy aster. Native. 18” tall, blue flowers in August and September. Does best in dry, sandy soil. Full sun is
best, but it can grow in very dappled shade.

Aster tartaricus Tartarian aster, Russian aster. Very VERY spready! Large basal leaves. 6-7’ tall stalks of tall stems covered in blue daises in October. This plant can be pinched in June to keep it to about 5’ and prevent it from flopping.
‘Jindai’ is a compact form that is 3-4’ tall with tightly condensed flowers on the stem.

Aster umbellatus (Doellingeria umbellata) Flat-topped aster. Native. Excellent, long blooming, easy care aster. A dome of white daisies in August and
September, possibly into early October! Pinch once in June and it will grow 3-4’ tall. Beloved by pollinators and butterflies. Full sun is best.

 

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