All over North America, there are native asters growing in forests, along highways, in meadows, and in marshes. If you come across a tall or mid-sized hardy perennial plant with dainty little flowers about the size of lawn daisies, then the chances are that it will be an aster. But there’s a problem. There are hundreds of different wild asters growing around the world, including in North America.
Over the last 20 years, botanists have been naming and renaming these plants, shaking up the world of asters. This means that we’ve all had to get used to new scientific names for some familiar plants. Of course, we could just forget the botanical names and rely on common names. The problem is that the same plant can have different English common names, not to mention native American names, in different parts of the country. So using the correct scientific name is the only way we can all be sure that we’re talking about the same plant.
What these asters have in common is that they are some of the best perennial plants, bringing late summer and fall color to our borders and gardens, showing good, although not total, resistance to deer browsing. They’re also suited to some of our coldest US hardiness zones, and they provide food for a wide variety of butterflies and other insects. In short: they’re indispensable.
Reasons to grow asters
Asters are probably the most important fall flowering perennials that we grow. Mostly tolerant and adaptable, in full sun and with good soil that does not lay wet in winter, asters will provide a dependably colorful display in late summer and fall. New dependably neat and bushy varieties have now been developed for containers.
The colorful sprays of single or double daisy-like flowers come in a wide variety of shades and are popular with butterflies, including monarch butterflies. They also last well when cut for bouquets.
No special conditions are needed to grow asters, it’s easy to make more by digging up the plants as they start to grow in spring, and then detaching and replanting the strongest shoots. The following asters are some of my favorite varieties that you should try to grow.
1. Aster alpinus
Common name: Alpine aster
Scientific name: Aster alpinus
Origin: Europe
Low, steadily spreading plants with individual flowers in purple or pink, making these ideal pink plants for a summer border. Earlier flowering, much shorter, than most in this group and good ground cover.
Top variety: ‘Dark Beauty’ (deep purple, 20in.)
Good for: Gravel gardens, front of a sunny border, large troughs.
Care: Needs full sun and insists on good drainage, especially in winter. Divide regularly to maintain prolific flowering.
Hardiness: USDA Zone 3-8
Height: 4-12in
With lilac blooms, Aster alpinus is a great addition to any yard and will grow quickly from seed.
2. Aster amellus
Common name: Italian aster
Scientific name: Aster amellus
Origin: Europe, Russia
Compact, clump-forming plants, woody at the base, are shorter than many in this group, with large yellow-eyed daisies in purple, blue or pink tones. Resistant to mildew, but can be short-lived.
Top varieties: ‘Pink Zenith’ (aka ‘Rosa Erfõllung’) (pink daisies, 20in).‘Violet Queen’ (aka ‘Veilchenkõnigen’) (large, violet-purple flowers, 16in.).
Good for: The front of a sunny border, fall flowering, attracting butterflies.
Care: Best in full sun, in fertile soil and with good winter drainage but will take a little light shade. Taller varieties may need support. Lift, divide and replant regularly.
Hardiness: USDA Zone 5-8
Height: 12-36in
Aster seeds are available from Amazon.
3. Aster x frikartii
Common name: Frikart's aster
Scientific name: Aster x frikartii
Origin: Garden hybrid
One of the best longest flowering perennials, these multi-branched, 100% mildew-free plants carry a long season of late summer and fall daisies with lavender-blue to violet rays around a golden eye.
Top varieties: ‘Mönch’ (lavender blue, 3ft), ‘Wunder von Stäfa’ (lavender blue, 2ft).
Good for: Mixed borders, perennial borders, attracting butterflies, cutting.
Care: Plant in spring, in well-drained fertile soil in full sun. Support taller varieties from mid-spring onwards. Lift and divide plants regularly.
Hardiness: USDA Zone 5-8.
Height: 18-36in
Frikart’s aster seeds are available from Amazon.
4. Eurybia divaricata
Common name: White wood aster
Old scientific name: Aster divaricatus
Scientific name: Eurybia divaricata
Origin: Eastern North America.
In late summer and fall, open clusters of small, white flowers weigh down the wiry stems till they almost touch the ground. One of the few shade-loving asters, pretty but not showy.
Top variety: ‘Eastern Star’ (taller, with larger flowers, 2ft). Eastern star aster seeds are available from Amazon.
Good for: Wild forest gardens, restorations, and naturalistic ground cover under trees.
Care: Plant in spring in light shade and do not provide support, allow to develop naturally.
Hardiness: USDA Zone 4-8
Height: 15-18in
5. Symphyotrichum ericoides
Common name: White heath aster
Old scientific name: Aster ericoides
Scientific name: Symphyotrichum ericoides
Origin: Eastern North America
Neat, steadily spreading plants develop clouds of white flowers in elegant arching sprays late in the fall. Adaptable, usually mildew-free and featuring some of the loveliest varieties in white, pink or purplish tones.
Top varieties: ‘Golden Spray’ (white petals, golden eye, 3ft).‘Snow Flurry’ (white flowers, unusual low and spreading growth, 8in),
Good for: Mixed borders, perennial borders, cut flower gardens
Care: Plant in spring, happiest in fertile soil in full sun or light shade.
Hardiness: USDA Zone 5-8
Height: 2-4ft
6. Symphyotrichum lateriflorum
Common name: Calico aster
Old scientific name: Aster lateriflorus
Scientific name: Symphyotrichum lateriflorum
Origin: Eastern North America
Large numbers of very small flowers create clouds of color on distinctively branched sprays that emerge strongly purple-tinted and before fading to green. Pale yellow centers mature to pink creating the “calico’ effect. Usually mildew-free.
Top varieties: ‘Horizontalis’ (clouds of pink-eyed white flowers on spreading branches, 2ft). ‘Lady In Black’ (small, almost black leaves and blushed white flowers, 3-4ft.)
Good for: Mixed borders, fall-focused borders, cutting.
Care: Plant in full sun in well-drained fertile soil. Support taller varieties from mid-late spring.
Hardiness: USDA Zone 4-8
Height: 2-4ft
7. Symphyotrichum macrophyllus
Common name: Large-leaved aster
Old scientific name: Aster macrophyllus
Scientific name: Symphyotrichum macrophyllus
Origin: Eastern North America
Flat-topped clusters of golden-eyed, lavender-tinted white flowers follow unusual broad foliage that makes a useful spring ground cover and is an attractive feature in its own right. Tolerant of dry shade, and mildew resistant.
Good for: Informal fall borders, wild gardens, under the dappled shade of deciduous trees.
Care: Divide with care as the crown of the plant is more woody than in other asters. May need support but can also be allowed sprawl.
Hardiness: USDA Zone 4-8.
Height: 3ft
Aster seed packets can be bought online from Amazon.
8. Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
Common name: New England aster
Old scientific name: Aster novae-angliae
Scientific name: Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
Origin: North America
Growing wild across much of the country, this relatively tall, tough and vigorous plant opens its large, colorful, single or double daisies in late summer and fall. The flowers can be violet, red, pink or white and can be exceptionally vivid in color. The plants are mostly mildew free and include some of the best native perennials that we grow.
Top varieties: ‘Harrington’s Pink’ (golden-eyed pink, 4ft), ‘Purple Dome’ (vivid purple, late flowering, 2ft)
Good for: Prairie plantings, wild gardens, mixed and perennial borders, cutting, attracting monarchs and other butterflies.
Care: Plant in spring, in good soil and a sunny situation. Provide support for medium height and taller varieties. Lift, divide and replant every two to four years.
Hardiness: USDA Zone 4-8
Height: 2-6ft
Buy New England asters from Nature Hills.
9. Symphyotrichum novi-belgii
Common name: New York aster
Old scientific name: Aster novi-belgii
Scientific name: Symphyotrichum novi-belgii
Origin: Eastern North America.
This east coast native is a vigorous, upright and rather variable plant that carries single or double daisies in a wide range of colors in late summer and fall. An increasing range of dwarf, bushy varieties is becoming available. This was one of the first plants that early settlers from Europe took back home.
Top varieties: ‘Marie Ballard’ (double blue, 3ft), ‘Professor Anton Kippenberg’ (lavender blue, trusted favorite, 12in), Showmakers Series (seven colors, neat rounded plants, good for containers, 15in).
Good for: Prairie plantings, wild gardens, mixed and perennial borders, cutting, attracting butterflies.
Care: Plant in spring in fertile, well-drained soil in sun or partial shade. Lift, divide and replant the most vigorous pieces in alternate years. Watch for mildew, constant summer moisture is a helpful preventative. Tough and tolerant but can fade away if neglected.
Hardiness: USDA Zone 4-8.
Height: 2-5f
Buy ‘Professor Anton Kippenberg’ from Nature Hills.
10. Symphyotrichum oblongifolius
Common name: Aromatic aster
Old scientific name: Aster oblongifolius
Scientific name: Symphyotrichum oblongifolius
Origin: Eastern North America and Midwest.
Native to most of the east and Midwest, the aromatic aster is exactly that – its foliage smells of minty balsam when crushed. Very late flowering, the yellow-eyed, violet-blue daisies are almost semi-double giving a very valuable fall display.
Top varieties: ‘October Skies’ (blue, tinted with lavender, 11/2ft), ‘Raydon’s Favorite’ (taller, darker and richer lavender blue, 3ft).
Good for: Prairie plantings, wild gardens, mixed and perennial borders.
Care: Good in well-drained soil, with a preference for sun and takes summer drought better than most asters. Dislikes wet winters but is mildew-free.
Hardiness: USDA Zone 4-8
Height: 1/2ft-3ft
FAQs
Why do my asters get mildew?
Powdery mildew is a fungus disease that attacks the leaves of many plants creating a gray coating on the foliage which then dries up, turns brown and crisp, and drops off. Mildew infection can weaken plants, sometimes severely, and also ruin their appearance.
Fortunately, although mildew is often seen on asters, there are three pieces of good news. Firstly, the type of mildew that attacks asters will not attack roses or other plants, and vice versa – each plant has a unique type of mildew that does not spread to other plants. Secondly, many asters have a natural built-in resistance to mildew and so are never, or rarely, infected. Thirdly, although infected asters can look unsightly and may be weakened, mildew infection is very rarely fatal.
Mildew on asters is at its worst in hot dry summers and when the soil dries out. Overcrowded plants also tend to be infected more often and the foliage low down on the plant is infected more severely than the flowering sprays.
So keep the roots moist by regular irrigation in summer. Plant in an open situation and divide and replant regularly so that the flowering stems do not become overcrowded. Plant shorter plants in front of susceptible asters so that mildewed growth is hidden.
Finally, choose mildew-resistant varieties. Varieties of the New York aster, Symphyotrichum novi-belgii, are the most likely to be infected – so avoid planting them. Varieties of the New England aster, Symphyotrichum novae-angliae, are generally resistant as are the Italian aster, Aster amellus, and Frikart’s aster, Aster x frikartii.
Asters really are impactful and stunning perennials. Whatever variety you pick (and why not pick more than one!), they will always impress. Why not plant alongside other impactful perennials, such as coneflowers or perhaps some of the best rudbeckias?
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