The most beautiful varieties of perennial asters
Perennial aster varieties attract the attention of flower growers primarily with their flowering. At a time when most of the plants in the flower beds are already living their last days, this beauty is just waking up. Dissolving her charming buds at the end of summer, she decorates the site until the very frosts. In addition, unlike their annual cousins, the perennial aster does not require as much attention. Having planted it once, you can admire the abundant and long-lasting flowering for many years.
Perhaps the only "drawback" of such plants is their assortment. There are so many varieties of perennial asters that sometimes the choice leads fans to a dead end. How not to get confused here, if only there are several groups, and what can we say about varieties ...
Today we decided to try to help you figure out what types of perennials exist. We also want to introduce you to some varieties of perennial asters with photos. We hope our article will make the task easier and help you choose flowers to your taste. So let's get started.
Powerful New England Asters
New England asters (as in the photo below) are also called American.
Besides size, New England Aster is very lush. Thin, but strong enough, straight shoots are covered with thick needles. The upper part of the stems actively branches. And when the bush blooms, the foliage is practically invisible under the inflorescences.
New England asters bloom late, in September, but stand in buds until frost. The flowers are quite large, with an average diameter of up to 4 cm, or even more. They tend to close in cold weather and at night.
The varieties of New England aster are characterized by high resistance to powdery mildew and rapid growth.
Astra Lucida
One of the smallest varieties in this group: bush maximum 1.1 m, but branches very strongly in the upper part of the shoots. This growth is completely offset by the beauty of the bloom. Large buds are colored in a noble ruby color. The core is also in this tone, but with a more pronounced red tint. Aster New England Lucida blooms in September for a month.
Resistant New Belgian asters
Another group of perennial autumn asters. All varieties are resistant to low temperatures and drought. Unlike the New England aster, the height of the varieties of this variety does not exceed 1.5 m. In addition, the bushes do not keep their shape so well and often fall apart under the weight of the buds. Flowering occurs in August or September, depending on the species. It lasts until the beginning of November, that is, before the arrival of the first frost. In most cases, the inflorescences are terry, some can reach 8 cm in diameter.
New Belgian asters, photos of some varieties can be seen below, also called virgin asters.
In order to maintain the splendor and abundance of flowering, as well as the size of the buds, it is better to plant the bushes in a sunny place, protected from drafts.
Such varieties of New Belgian asters are especially popular among flower growers:
- Oktoberfest;
- Royal Ruby;
- Henry Blue;
- Herpicton Pink;
- Friendly.
Astra Oktoberfest
A medium-sized bush with a height of 1 m blooms in August. The flowers are small, semi-double, with pale blue narrow petals. The core is colored yellow, which gives it a similarity to chamomile, only blue. The flowering of the New Belgian Oktoberfest aster is long, until late autumn.
Astra Royal Ruby
Aster New Belgian Royal Ruby opens its first buds in August and blooms until November. Semi-double inflorescences have a rich royal color: the middle is yellow, and the petals are crimson-red. The diameter of the flower is from 2 to 3 m. The bush is medium-sized for this group, its height does not exceed 90 cm, but it is very dense.
Astra Henry Blue
One of the new varieties of the New Belgian aster Henry Blue is distinguished by its compact size. The bush extends to a maximum of 35 cm. It has a very nice round shape. Henry Blue blooms from late summer to mid-autumn. The photo shows terry asters, painted in violet-blue. They immediately attract attention and look favorably against the background of dark foliage.
Astra Herpicton Pink
The variety is distinguished by its long flowering, which begins in late summer and ends in late autumn. Inflorescences are medium-sized, pale pink, with a yellow core. If there is enough lighting, the New Belgian aster Herpicton Pink grows up to one and a half meters in height.
Astra Friendly
A very delicate variety with charming pink flowers. Their diameter is 7 cm, and the terry shape with a yellow center attracts the eye. The bush itself grows up to 1 m in height.
Compact spray asters
Varieties of perennial bush (shrub) asters represent another separate group. It includes species that are ideal for borders and rockeries. Their height does not exceed 1 m, although there are also more miniature specimens with a growth of only 20-40 cm. Such compact bushes look very beautiful even when they are not blooming, and are considered dwarf.
Perennial dwarf asters include more than just shrub species. They also include undersized (up to 45 cm in height) varieties of Alpine, New England and Italian asters.
The dense crown of asters consists of many branching branches. The shoots are completely covered with fine, but elegantly colored foliage. With this amount, the dark green leaves make the aster look like a boxwood bush. And when they bloom in the fall, the small inflorescences cover the bushes with a bright solid cap. Another plus - such asters do not require transplanting until 5 years. Older bushes simply become too thick, and then they are divided for reproduction.
Some of the most beautiful and compact types of bush undersized asters are the following varieties:
- Blue Bird;
- Dwarf Nancy;
- Rosenwichtel;
- Blue Otumn;
- Blue Lagoon.
Astra Blue Bird
Shrub aster Blue Bird is one of the brightest representatives of the border flower species. The bush has a beautiful shape: it is thick and dense, like a green ball covered with flowers. Plant height averages about 30 cm. Blooms aster in early autumn, flowering lasts 2 months. The inflorescences are small, up to 2.5 cm in diameter, semi-double, but there are a lot of them. In blue asters, a large yellow center is clearly visible in the photo.
Astra Dwarf Nancy
Aster shrub Nancy dwarf grows to a maximum of 25 cm in height. The shoots are so densely spaced that the bush looks like a sphere. It blooms with lilac semi-double inflorescences from early to mid-autumn.
Astra Rosenwichtel
Shrub aster Rosenwichtel is distinguished by its lush forms and long flowering. The height of the bush does not exceed 30 cm, while it is very dense. Erect stems actively branch and are completely covered with dark green small foliage. Aster blooms in August and blooms until October.Pink asters darken as they fade, acquiring a reddish tint. The buds are large enough, up to 5 cm in diameter. The petals are arranged in several rows around the yellow core.
The variety is frost-hardy, but needs watering in dry summers. Grows well both in the sun and in partial shade.
Astra Blue Otumn
Astra Blue Otumn is a hybrid variety, the parents of which are the common bush aster and the New Belgian one. From the first, he took a compact size, and from the second - a bright color. The height of the bush is only 40 cm, while it grows in the form of a ball. In September, blue-violet buds with a yellow center open. Aster blooms until the coldest days.
Astra Blue Lagoon
A very beautiful variety with rounded bushes up to 50 cm high and dark green foliage. Flowering occurs in late summer and lasts until frost. The inflorescences are large enough for such a plant, they can reach 5 cm in diameter. There is a large yellow core in the center of the flower. Around it are bright purple petals in several rows.
Alpine perennial asters - spring plants
Despite the fact that this culture is considered autumn, some varieties of perennial asters are able to please with flowering already at the end of spring. These include alpine asters. They differ not only in early flowering. Most of the plants are compact in size - beautiful lush bushes grow up to a maximum of 50 cm. In addition, their flowering usually lasts an average of about a month.
Some of the brightest representatives of the group are:
- alpine blue;
- aster pink.
Alpine blue aster
Alpine blue, unlike autumn asters, blooms in the first half of summer, for which it is called spring. The height of the bush does not exceed 60 cm, while the inflorescences themselves are large. The diameter of the flower is 6 cm, and the color is dominated by lilac-blue tones. A yellow core is clearly visible in the center of the bud.
The variety is most like a chamomile - it has flowers formed at the tips of the stems, one on each.
Astra Pink
A lush and dense perennial will delight you with its modest size - only 30 cm in height. The actively branching stems are covered with beautiful green foliage. The lower leaves are oblong, and those that grow on the stem itself are smaller and narrower. Pink blooms in the month of May. The buds are medium in size (only 5 cm in diameter), double, bright pink. Aster blooms for a month.
Aster bush Pink leaves in winter green, with leaves.
May "chamomile" - Tongolese aster
Another early flowering species variety. Already in May, he is able to please with simple but charming inflorescences -daisies... Their core is bright yellow, and the thin petals are painted in purple or violet. Plant height does not exceed 50 cm.
The abundantly flowering beauty aster bokosvetnaya
The side-flowered aster differs from other perennial plant species in the location of the inflorescences, which gave it its name. The shrub is 60 cm tall and consists of erect stems (some varieties can grow twice as tall). In the upper part, they have many branches to form arcuate shoots. Each of them is densely covered with small flowers, representing a whole flowering branch. Aster blooms in September, the buds are white or light pink. The middle of the inflorescence is first yellow, then turns red.
Another characteristic feature of the side-colored aster is the red color of young stems.
Unpretentious and beautiful small-flowered aster
Separately, it is worth mentioning such a variety of perennial asters, as small-flowered or heather aster. This is one of the most unpretentious species that can most often be found in a flower bed. At its core, it is ground cover plant, the bush quickly grows to the sides, capturing the territory. It is very powerful with strong branching shoots. The height of the plant does not exceed 1 m, but with such a crown it already seems huge.In addition, dark green leaves are located along the entire length of the shoots. In the lower part of the stem, they are larger and tougher.
Heather aster is not afraid of frost, drought, or sudden changes in temperature.
Small-flowered aster blooms all autumn, and this is the main advantage and difference of the species. Its inflorescences are the smallest of all asters. The color depends on the particular variety and can be white, purple or blue. The core of the flower, as usual, is yellow or red. There are so many buds that under their weight the shoots lean to the ground. For this reason, the bush must be tied up or allowed to lie on the ground with a carpet.
Golden aster, golden
In conclusion, I would like to mention another type of perennial autumn beauties - golden (yellow) aster. In scientific literature, it is known as flax-leaved aster. This species differs from the plants described above in the structure of the inflorescences. The flowers are more like fluffy yellow balls collected in inflorescences. They are very small (no more than 1.5 cm in diameter), but they look beautiful and delicate. The bush itself grows up to 50 cm in height. Its stems are strong, covered with very narrow, like needles, leaves. And the golden aster blooms at the end of August, signaling the arrival of the golden autumn.
Here they are so diverse, perennial aster varieties. Tall or dwarf, large or small, but they all have one thing in common: the light breath of autumn. Aster blooms - it means that summer is saying goodbye to us, but juicy autumn colors come to replace it. Choose your favorite color and “size” and enjoy these beautiful colors!