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The Other Fall Flower

© Diana Morgan

When we think of fall flowers in the northeast, mums invariably come to mind. Though showy, garden mums are only marginally hardy in northern New England. Add to that the need for heavy mulch for overwintering, and repeated pinching back in the spring and early summer to achieve fullness, and you have a rather fussy plant.

There is another fall perennial that requires very little care, loves rotten soil conditions, is hardy even to zone 2 in some cases, lasts right up to the first hard frost, and can put on a pretty impressive show all its own. Asters, also called Michaelmas Daisies, flourish in the cold regions of North America and Europe. Aster means star in Greek and star perfectly describes the shape of the dainty flowers of this fall bloomer. They are important late summer and fall blossoms, attracting bees and butterflies, providing much-needed nectar and pollen to help these insects survive the winter months. Hybridized versions of these tough wildflowers represent some very impressive specimens for the fall garden. Cultivars and species plants are available at garden centers now for fall planting.

The following are some of the asters that are hardy to at least Zone 3. Those that are hardy to Zone 2 have a (2) in parenthesis after the Latin name. Most asters prefer dry sandy soil; the exceptions are so noted. They require little to no care other than pruning back the previous year's growth in spring and occasional waterings in extremely dry weather. Alpine aster, A. alpinus, (2), is a dwarf plant reaching 8-10" with 1½ inch white, lavender or blue flower heads. It blooms early in May and June and makes a nice rock garden plant because of its diminutive size.

Italian aster, A. amellus, reaches a height of 2 feet with 1½ inch purple blooms. This variety is a European native that doesn't do very well in North America and is recommended for experienced gardeners only. It also does not transplant sucessfully in the fall, so spring planting only is advised.

Bushy aster, A. dumosus, (2), grows to be 1-3 feet tall and blooms from August to October. There are several cultivars available including Alert (red), Alice Haslam (rose), Lady in Blue, Peter Harrison (pink), Snow Cushion (white), and Victor (pale blue). There are also two dwarf versions of this aster. Niobe, which is white and grows to 8 inches and Little Red Boy that reaches 12 inches.

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