Not just the typical Michaelmas Daisy, we offer others with more interest. Many of the less common species are more or less mildew free and a better, moister soil will help with all species. A very varied family now reflected better by some recent name changes - if you can't find what you are looking for under Aster, try the new genus names also found on this page.
The Aster family is a huge group of plants, from most of the northern hemisphere, made up, basically, of what was left after the botanists had divided the obvious groups of daisies out of the family formerly known as Compositae, now known as Asteraceae. As a result some of the species bear little relation to each other and the new name changes make sense on a botanical level, just a pity some of the new names will be so hard to spell and pronounce compared to Aster!
As a whole, the Asters are summer and autumn flowering perennials, mostly with good upright stems that produce interesting fluffy seedheads later in the year, very useful for naturalistic gardening. Most of them like an ordinary soil, not too wet or dry, in sun or a little shade but there are a few that prefer at least some shade.
Most can be given a Chelsea-chop if required, cutting back the new growth in spring from c. 30cm to c. 15cm, to encourage side branhes and a denser, lower growing clump. It doesn't work with all of them, so ask or experiment before chopping the whole plant off!
Spreading clumps of wand-like stems with incised dark green leaves topped with generous heads of very pale lavender blue flowers in summer. Average soil in sun. 45cm.
Clumps of tall wand-like stems clothed with narrow leaves and topped with heads of smallish white flowers in autumn. Excellent for mixing with Panicums etc. 1.2m. Ordinary soil in sun.
An unusual Aster with its shiny green leaves, black stems and masses of small white flowers with yellow centres that rapidly turn pink - and it likes shade! Low clumps to 60cm, flowers midsummer. Any reasonable soil in shade or part shade.
AGM. Clumps of upright, branching stems with masses of lavender flowers in autumn. Dark stems and foliage contrast well. 1m Average soil in sun or part shade.
Pretty light lilac flowers with reddish purple centres in sprays on upright stems to 45cm. Tough and easy for sun or light shade, even fairly dry. Good autumn foliage.
Luminous whitish lilac-pink flowers on dark stems form a cloud in autumn. An excellent hybrid selection from Princess Greta Sturdza's garden. Good soil in sun. 1.5m.
Clumps of deep green foliage and upright stems topped with heads of lavender-blue flowers in late summer. 50cm. Best in good soil in full sun, ideal with grasses like Panicum.
AGM Clumps of upright stems well clad with purplish foliage and then topped with massed sprays of tiny, near white flowers in autumn to 90cm. Average soil in sun but it does best in rich soil that doesn't dry out.
Pretty silvery blue flowers of a decent size on strong stems to 1.5m. A good, earlier flowering species, August into late autumn, well worth trying in good soil in sun.
A rare hybrid "Aster" producing clumps of upright stems with heads of bright, light, blue flowers in late autumn to 1.2m. Rarely seen and well worth growing! Average soil in sun.
