Alpine aster

Family Asteraceae. Distributed in Transcarpathia, the Southern Urals, the Caucasus, Europe, Central Asia and Asia Minor, and in the western part of North America.

Perennial rhizomatous herbaceous or semi-shrub plant with a horizontally branched rhizome. Stems 25-30 cm high, sturdy, slightly pubescent. Basal leaves oblong, spatulate, pubescent; stem leaves small, linear, sessile. Leaves do not die back for the winter and remain green. Clump size up to 50 cm. Inflorescences — solitary flower heads 4-5 cm in diameter. Ray (ligulate) flowers at the margin, arranged in one row, white, lilac, purple; tubular (disk) flowers in the center, yellow. Blooms in late May to mid-June. Fruit — an achene with a hairy pappus. Seeds ripen in late July - August and retain the hereditary qualities of clones. In cultivation since the late 16th century.

Alpine aster is an undemanding plant. The main condition for successful cultivation is to provide a well-drained alkaline soil containing calcium and a sunny site. Otherwise, this aster will not persist long in your garden. It is notable for its compact growth and abundant flowering. Propagated by seed, sown directly into open ground in beds. It can also be propagated by division of the clump, as well as by ground shoots. For successful cultivation the alpine aster should be regularly renewed or clumps divided roughly every third year, since with age the plant becomes very crowded and begins to partially die out. Can grow in the taiga zone of Russia. Most often used for borders, front-of-border groups, in mixed borders, and on rock gardens. Cultivars usually differ mainly by more abundant flowering.

Often encountered:

'Альба' ('Alba') - flower heads 2.5-3 cm in diameter, ray flowers white;
'Глори' ('Glory') - flower heads up to 2.5 cm in diameter, ray flowers blue;
'Голиаф' ('Goliaph') - large flower heads, ray flowers light lilac;
'Дункле Шёне' ('Dunkle Schеne') - flower heads 3-3.5 cm in diameter, ray flowers dark purple;
'Розеа' ('Rosea') - flower heads 3.5-4 cm in diameter, ray flowers pink;
'Рубер' ('Ruber') - ray flowers red-pink, flower heads 4 cm in diameter;
'Супербус' ('Superbus') - flower heads 3-3.5 cm in diameter, ray flowers lilac-blue;