Harbingers of Fall - Part III - Asters, Part 1, Etc. - Page 3

I've read that it is hardy from USDA zones 6 (with protection and a sheltered spot) to 9. Considering the fact that mine has been killed almost to the ground in very hard winters, I think zone 6 is pushing the envelope a bit. In warmer zones, they just continue to put on height every year. I tie mine up to a post, but I think that if it were given a sturdy lattice, it would weave itself up without too much help. I've read descriptions of this plant that refer to it as a "vine," but I really don't see any vining tendencies. Perhaps in a Florida bog, the plant behaves quite differently than in my garden. I'd call it more of a scrambler because it will insinuate itself upwards through another plant that can provide it the support it needs.

Climbing Aster is very late in flowering, sometimes waiting until nearly November in my garden, but the flowers remain nice through several frosts until the foliage is totally blackened by a real killer frost. The stems become woody and should not be pruned if you want maximum height, unless there is winter damage or you live in one of the warmer zones. I've never noticed any seedlings, but the climbing asters can be divided in early spring.