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Asters are summer-blooming perennial flowers known for their colorful petals on daisy-like flowers.
Most cultivars begin blooming in late summer and put on a vibrant show through mid to late autumn.
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It blooms from September through late autumn and will reseed in the garden.
The lavender-blue blooms attract many pollinators.
Once established, it is drought-tolerant and will grow in clay soils.
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The most popular cultivar available commercially is ‘Bluebird.’
The flowers come in a range of colors including white, pink, blue, and purple.
The low-growing plant thrives in places with cool summer temperatures and tolerates poor, dry, rocky soil.
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It’s drought tolerant, grows in dry soils, and often blooms into November.
The leaves have a fragrant, herby scent when crushed.
It tolerates dry or chalky soil.
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It’s named for the bloom time occurring near the harvest festival of Michaelmas, celebrated on September 29th.
The ‘King George’ cultivar is compact (18-30 in.
‘Woods Blue’ is a late-season powerhouse that bears flowers continuously from September through November.
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In addition to blue, there are also purple and pink varieties.
The flowers have slender petals of pale lavender purple and bright yellow centers.
It starts blooming in midsummer and is somewhat less cold-hardy than other asters.
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Tatarian Aster
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Tatarian aster flowers are pale violet with prominent yellow centers.
It has vivid hot pink double petals and bright yellow centers.
The slender single-petaled blooms cover densely-branched stems from Septemberthrough the first hard frost.
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It prefers full sun and well-drained, moist soil.
This compact grower, known asAster sedifolius’Nanus' produces masses of starry-shaped flowers in shades of light lavender blue.
The heath aster has somewhat denser branching with blooms a bit closer together than the frost aster.
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The white flowers sometimes take on a pale pink or blue tone.
This plant attracts pollinators and is the main food for the pearl crescent butterfly.
The flowers have spiky pink petals and dainty yellow centers.
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Its height averages between 24-30 inches.
‘Eventide’ prefers full sun but will bloom in partial sun.
It provides brilliant autumn color with fluffy full-petaled flowers of bright lavender.
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It grows fine in clay soils and is perfect for tucking into small spots in the garden.
This wild aster is native to the northeast and north central United States.
The small white flowers bloom from July through the early frost season.
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Unlike many asters it tolerates dry and poor soil conditions.
They are compact, bushy plants with vivid double-petaled flowers.
The ‘Magic’ colors include blue, purple, pink, and white.
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The fluffy petals are often so full that the yellow centers remain hidden and they resemble colorful pom-poms.
From September through November, it’s covered in pale violet-blue blooms.
The mounds are large and round with densely-branched flowers that bloom from August through October.
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The brilliant color is a medium purple that looks great next to gold and yellow flowers.
Asters spread via a slender, rhizomous root, and some varieties spread by reseeding.
They can be divided yearly and replanted.
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Asters are perennial and many varieties are cold hardy to USDA Zone 3.
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