Growing Aster Frikartii

The aster frikartii was used as a large mass planting in the outdoor garden exhibit of the Naka Nursery at last August’s Floral Fiesta, and it elicited a. quantity of favorable comments. Aster frikartii is not to be mixed up with the annual, or China aster which is not a true aster but an Asiatic annual herb known as Callistephus. The China aster, Callistephus chinensis, is a native of China and Japan and a true annual. Home gardeners usually buy their China asters as bedding plants from their local nursery so as to bring them into flower in early summer. The China aster should never be planted in the same location two years in a row, and only wilt resistant varieties should be used.

The true Aster genus of which Aster frikartii is a member, is an immense group of mostly perennial herbs that are commonly found throughout North America. The more than 600 specie’s of true asters range from rock garden plants that make compact mounds scarcely six inches high to the widespreading Aster tataricus which reaches a height of six to eight feet.

Aster frikartii is not a species aster but a hybrid derived from a cross of Aster ellus, an Italian aster, a sturdy, resistant, rough, hairy plant with yellow centered violet flowers two inches in diameter and Aster thomsonii, a native of the Himalayas. This latter parent has fragrant, single, lavender to violet-blue two and a half inch flowers.

There were several hybrids from the above cross but the one that caught and held the public fancy is Aster frikartii, variety “Wonder of Staffa, This has the lavender-blue flowers from two to two and a half inches across and blooms from late June or early May to late October or even November. The plant does exceedingly well in light-shade but reaches its peak of perfection in full sun. Many perennial growers consider this aster to be the finest garden plant introduced in the past thirty years.

Plants get from two to three feet tall and: the blooms are excellent for cutting. Aster frikartii will grow in almost any soil but a rich, humus-filled soil will produce more luxuriant plants, larger blooms and a more vibrant color. Plants are usually available in bloom, in gallon cans. We would suggest that you get a can or two now, if you want some blue color in the garden, partially bury the cans with the plants in them for another month or six weeks. At this time you can lift the cans, remove the plants and divide the clumbs, for a more extensive planting.

Water regularly through rainless season. Clumps will need dividing each fall after flowering has ceased or has considerably slowed down as this aster will bloom all winter if the weather stays mild. We pull the vigorous, young divisions from the outside of the clump and sicard the old, woody center. We replant immediately placing a husky tablespoonful of controlled release fertilizer under each division to take care of the plants nutrient needs for the coming year. Our plants have not been bothered with insects or diseases except for a little mildew on the leaves in late fall. This is easily controlled with any one ff the many mildew sprays on the market.

http://www.floridata.com/ref/A/aste_xfr.cfm