Lush-headed garden beauty Astra pomponnaya
Some growers think that pompom aster is a flower variety, but this is not entirely true. It would be more correct to name such asters a group of plants that share common traits, in particular with regard to appearance. How can you recognize the pompon aster among other representatives of this lovely garden flower?
general characteristics
Most pompom asters are annuals, but regardless of the life cycle, all varieties included in this group have the following characteristics:
- the shape of lush terry inflorescences in the form of halves of a rounded pompom (hence the name);
- rather large flowers up to 6 cm in diameter, and some specimens are twice as large;
- compact size of bushes (no more than 60 cm);
- dense pyramidal crown of plants with good branching;
- abundant and long flowering (one bush can set more than 4 dozen buds, and some varieties bloom until late autumn).
In addition, due to the dense shape of the bush, asters are resistant to weather conditions and do not break under gusts of wind. IN leaving the flowers are unpretentious and will not cause much trouble, but all summer they will delight with terry balls of a wide variety of colors.
Popular types
The group of pompom asters is quite numerous. All varieties are compact in size and bloom very beautifully, surprising each with its own shade. Among the most beautiful and favorite types of pompom asters by flower growers, it is worth noting the following varieties:
- Winter cherry... It is often used for cutting into bouquets due to the large and double inflorescences with a noble cherry color, while the center of the flowers casts a yellow-white color.
- Superb Ruckley... A cold-hardy branched shrub with abundant flowering. Inflorescences are blue with a white center.
- A princess... One of the largest varieties - the diameter of the double inflorescence can reach 13 cm. It is late flowering, the color of the buds depends on the specific hybrid and varies from pale white to purple.
- Hai no maru... A very decorative variety with a miniature size: the bush grows to a height of no more than 45 cm, and the flowers themselves are also quite small, up to 5 cm in diameter. But the color of the asters is original: the yellow center turns into a crimson-red center and ends with a snow-white border.