Asters are known for being a staple for beautiful fall blooms in the Midwest. Most commonly, you will find them in shades of purple or pink but there are some varieties that white, blue, yellow, or orange as well.
Classification and Varieties:
According to North Carolina State "Botanists have reclassified this genus after studying the plant's morphology and DNA. The Aster genus is restricted to plants native to Europe and Asia. The species native to North America belong to two other genera, Symphyotrichum and Eurybia. The common name remains Aster for all the genera."
The hardiness zone is dependent on the variety but it is generally within zone 3-8. Crazy enough, varieties can range from 6" to 8' and potentially 1-3' wide. Most of the varieties I've experienced here in Wisconsin have ranged from about 1-4' tall in maturity.
New England Aster: at most 6' tall and 3' wide, deep pink/purple, full sun, Aug- Sept bloom time
New York Aster: at most 3' tall and wide, can come in blue/purple, white or pink, Aug-Oct bloom time
Wood's Blue Aster: 1' tall-1.5' wide, lavender/blue color blooms, full sun, Sept- Oct bloom time
Wood's Purple Aster: 1.5' tall and wide, vibrant purple, full sun, Aug-Sept bloom time
Wood's Pink Aster: 1.5' tall and wide, pink semi-double blooms, full sun, Aug-Sept bloom time
Purple Dome Aster: 2' tall and 3' wide, bright purple, full sun, Aug-Sept bloom time
Sun Requirements:
It can depend on your environment and the variety but its safe to say these plants do well in full sun or partial sun.
Water Requirements:
Since this plant is hardy and reliable, they follow the typical perennial watering instructions! They like average moisture but can be drought tolerance once established.
It is best to water heavier and less frequently than less water and more often. For the first full season, you will need to keep up with watering. Plants in the first establishing year need 2 inches of water a week. This could be provided by rainfall but if it isn't, a deep soak around out once every 5-7 days in enough water.
In the second and third year, you may need to provide supplemented water if there is a drought but they shouldn't need much more help.
Fertilizer Requirements:
Asters don't require fertilizer but using a balanced fertilizer is all you need! If you have certain issues, you may want to try a nitrogen focused fertilizer to help with foliage fullness or phosphorus focused fertilizer for flower growth.
I don't fertilizer my perennials and shrubs much but for this, I would use my Fox Farm's Happy Frog All Purpose Fertilizer. The instructions say to reapply the fertilizer about once a month during the active growing season.
There are MANY ways to fertilize and it is completely up to you! As long as you follow the instructions and don't over fertilize your plants, its okay!
Other Facts:
Apart of the Daisy family- Asteraceae
Native to Eurasia, northwest Africa, Canada, and the northwest United States
"Aster" is Greek for "star" which is in reference to the flower shape
According to Penn State "According to folklore, the Greek goddess Astraea was saddened by how few stars appeared in the night sky. She was so distraught that she began to cry. As tears streamed down her face and hit the ground, they grew into beautiful star-shaped aster flowers. The ancient Greeks used asters to create wreaths which they placed on altars to pay tribute to the gods."
Asters are considered the September birth flower!
There aren't usually many issues with Asters but rust and powdery mildew are probably the most common issues. Both can be treated with a fungicide.
I planted Asters this spring but found that rabbits love to eat them! You may need a repellent to help keep them growing. THIS is the one I use.
Bees and butterflies LOVE these flowers!
Penn State says "Monarch butterflies use them as resting stops during their annual migrations because the aster's flowering season coincides with the peak of their migration."
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Instagram Q&A:
I always ask followers if they had any specific questions, opinions or hot-takes I can address in this podcast and blog. Here are what people told me and and my answers for this topic:
"I grew them once and they were very late and leggy. I think the variety was just not for me."
I've also seen leggy Asters at the garden center! Perhaps fertilizer could help keep the foliage full and push the flowers to bloom sooner?
"I am very allergic to them! It's a compositae allergy and a lot of florists can develop it. It sucks!"
That DOES suck!!! I looked it up because I hadn't heard of that type of allergy and it is from a "contact allergic reaction to plants in the Asteraceae family"
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Love, Holly (Owner & Creator of Houseplant Homebody LLC)
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