Aster novae-angliae/New England Aster

Funny thing about this aster. It started life in my garden as a variety of Aster novae-angliae called 'Purple Mound," so named because it's only about a foot tall.

Then suddenly it morphed into a full-size aster 4 feet tall and the next year half of them flowered in a totally new color - the pinker shade you see here. I was impressed.  By "morphing" I mean reverting to the characteristics of the species (breeding be damned.)

 

Details

• New England asters are native to (no surprise) the Northeast, and are fine in Zones 3-9 - quite a spread.

Care

• I rarely give it supplemental watering - only in looong droughts.
• I follow advice in the Well Tended Perenial Garden: chopping it in half twice before July 4. This makes it shorter and bushier so I don't have to stake it to keep it from totally flopping over.
• If you like aster's winter look, wait til early spring to cut it back to the ground. Or just leave it alone through the winter because it's the wildlife-friendly way to garden.

Good Information in Print

• The Well Tended Perennial Garden by Tracy DiSabato-Aust is the best-selling book on how to make your perennials healthier and better-looking.
• Encyclopedia of Perennials by Graham Rice is exhaustive and an outstanding general resource on the subject.
• The Complete Flower Gardener by Cutler and Ellis is another source I consult regularly.

 

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