Asters - Flowering Perennial

Asters are a wide and varied group of plants belonging to the Compositae along with daisies. This describes their composite flowers which are apparently simple with a halo of bright simple petals around a central button. The reality is that their flower is actually quite complicated and the button in the middle is made of many individual flowers that open from the outside inwards. This composite flower is what gives them their name and ensures that the flowers are long lasting.

The perennial Asters flower in late summer and fall and are great at providing a show of color and vibrancy in the garden when many other plants are starting to flag. There is a whole range of shades in pinks and purples almost reaching a true blue, but not quite.

They are relatively trouble free. The taller varieties that reach over 36 inches should be staked when the reach about half that height so that they don't flop onto each other and spoil the display. nova-angliae and nova-belgii types should be split and re-planted every third year to maintain their vigor.

Asters offered as seed are usually half-hardy annual varieties and not perennials.