New England aster or American aster

Family Asteraceae. Native to the central and eastern regions of North America. In cultivation since 1700.

Perennial herbaceous plants. Stems erect, branched, densely pubescent, forming spreading bushes up to 200 cm tall and 80 cm in diameter. Leaves lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate. Flower heads 3–4 cm in diameter, gathered into large dense panicle-like inflorescences; a well-developed bush may bear up to 20–30 of them. Ray florets are carmine, pink, blue, lilac and purple; disc (tubular) florets are yellow, reddish or purple. All New England aster cultivars flower in autumn, in September–October, and in the south, weather permitting, may also flower in November. Some cultivars tolerate morning frosts down to -5 °C. Various cultivars are used for cutting and for edging. Numerous cultivars differ in flowering time, size and color of the inflorescences.

New England asters are planted in sunny, open, non-waterlogged locations. Although asters are not very demanding regarding soil quality, fertile humus-rich soils are nevertheless necessary for abundant and prolonged flowering. On poor soils apply 10 kg of well-rotted manure, compost or other organic fertilizer per 1 m.² and feed with mineral fertilizers 2–3 times during the summer. The soil should be dug to a depth of 20 cm. Asters can be planted in the open ground in early May or in September. Planting spacing is 45 x 45 cm or 50 x 50 cm depending on the height and fullness of the bush. Because New England asters spread strongly and crowd each other, they should be transplanted every 3–4 years. Otherwise the asters begin to bloom poorly, the inflorescences become smaller, and the plants become less attractive. Division of clumps should be carried out only early in spring. With such planting asters will bloom in the same year.

The inflorescences are used for various bouquets and arrangements, singly or to decorate arrangements with branches of asparagus, mahonia, boxwood, etc. In water the cut inflorescences last 10–12 days. Cut inflorescences also require care: changing the water, trimming the tips of stems, removing leaves from the portions of stems that are submerged. Feeding with special nutrient solutions will prolong the life of cut flowers. Used in various ways for edging, singly, in groups, etc.

Most interesting cultivars:

'Барс Пинк' ('Bars Pink') - A bushy shrub, 150 cm tall, branched, well-leaved. Inflorescences 4 cm in diameter, gathered in dense clusters. Ray florets carmine; disc florets yellow. Attractive singly in various groups, borders and ribbons; suitable for cutting.
'Браумэн' ('Browmann') - Bush 120 cm tall, pubescent, branched. Inflorescences 4 cm in diameter. All inflorescences are gathered into beautiful clusters. Flowers from September, abundantly and for a long time. Ray florets violet-lilac. The bush stands out nicely alone against a bright green lawn. Used for cutting into large round bouquets and for other arrangements.
'Гарпингтон Пинк' ('Harpington Pink') - Plant up to 150 cm tall. Heads up to 3.5 cm in diameter; ray florets light pink, disc florets golden-brown. Flowers from late September for 30–35 days.
'Герберозе' ('Gerberose') - Tall, graceful, branched bush up to 150 cm high. Inflorescences gathered in short clusters. Flowers 3.5 cm in diameter, numerous, covering the whole plant with a pink cloud. Especially effective in arrangements, in group plantings, ribbons, borders and singly.
'Глуар де Кронштадт' ('Gloire de Kronstadt') - Medium-sized bush, reaches 130 cm in height, graceful, branched, slightly pubescent. Numerous inflorescences 4 cm in diameter, gathered in short loose clusters. Ray florets lilac-purple. Flowers from September. Can be used for cutting to make bouquets. In edging it is used for simple and mixed groups, planted near benches and arbors, along paths, etc.
'Доктор Экенер' ('Doctor Eckener') - Bushes up to 150 cm tall. Heads up to 4 cm in diameter; ray florets red-purple, disc florets light brown and yellow. Flowers in October for 20–25 days.
'Констанс' ('Constance') - A fairly tall bush, reaching 150–180 cm in height. Stems strong, branched, densely leafed. Leaves lanceolate. Heads 3.5 cm in diameter, dark lilac; disc florets brown or yellow. Numerous inflorescences gathered in clusters. Flowers in September–October for 30–35 days. Tolerates night temperatures down to -8°C. Can be used for cutting and for garden design. Beautiful in group plantings and ribbons.
'Лилл Фарделл' ('Lille Fardell') - A branched plant 130 cm tall. The bush is covered with lanceolate leaves and a large number of inflorescences 3.5 cm in diameter. Ray florets of a beautiful deep-pink color, very striking. Inflorescences gathered in loose short clusters. An excellent variety for cutting and edging.
'Роте Штерн' ('Rote Stern') - Plant up to 150 cm tall. Heads up to 4 cm in diameter; ray florets dark carmine, disc florets brown. Flowers in autumn for 25–30 days.
'Септемберрубин' ('Septemberrubin') - Bush up to 150 cm tall, densely leafed. Many inflorescences, 3.5 cm in diameter, gathered in clusters. Ray florets bright, striking, red-pink, visible from a distance. Beautiful in bouquets and other arrangements. Used in edging as groups against a shrub background, for borders on both sides of a garden path, as a colorful patch. Other variations are possible.

Aster novi-belgii, or Virginia aster - A. novi-belgii L. = Michaelmas Daisy

Native to the eastern regions of North America. In cultivation since 1686. Grows widely up to the taiga zone.

A rhizomatous perennial, growing as a plant with an inverted-pyramid-shaped habit. Stems 50–150 cm tall, densely branched in the upper part, glabrous or pubescent depending on the cultivar. Bushes densely leaved. Leaves linear-lanceolate with blunt bases, alternate, sessile. Inflorescences large, paniculate, sometimes consisting of 200 heads up to 2 cm in diameter. Ray florets numerous, most often lilac. Some cultivars have different colors; in some the ray florets are arranged in several rows fully covering the yellow tubular florets, creating the impression of doubleness. This species, under good soil conditions, flowers very abundantly and for a long time from September. It sets seed.

New York aster is planted in sunny places with protection from cold winds. The plants are frost-hardy. It is best to plant them in early May. The soil should be worked to a depth of 20–25 cm. Planting area depends on height and bushiness. Low cultivars are planted with spacing of 20 x 25 cm, while tall ones require 40 x 45 cm. Because the aster spreads quickly via a long rhizome, it is transplanted every 3–4 years. Besides dividing the clump, it can be propagated by seed and green cuttings, but these methods are more labor-intensive and less effective. Sometimes the aster can be divided without digging up the clump, simply by cutting off one or two parts with a sharp spade. Fill the remaining hole with fertile soil and water. Care should ensure loose soil; weeds must be regularly removed, and in dry weather watering with non-cold water is essential. Periodically apply manure and mineral fertilizers.

The most popular and richest in cultivars species, however susceptible to typical aster diseases. In addition, it is demanding of soil moisture and fertility (the English recommend adding compost annually in autumn or in spring after cutting the stems). Especially susceptible to powdery mildew, so breeders try to develop mildew-resistant varieties. It is necessary to follow the preventive measures described above. The first most attractive hybrids were bred in England Ballard @ Amos Perry. These hybrids included the most beautiful, including double forms, but were prone to powdery mildew. Georg Arends @ especially, Karl Foerster also produced popular hybrids that were, however, more resistant to diseases.

The inflorescences of A. novi-belgii are widely used for cutting for various arrangements and bouquets. In water, cut inflorescences can last 10–15 days if the water is changed regularly and leaves are removed from the submerged parts of the stems. Sometimes a silver coin is placed in the water to keep it from spoiling. For nutrition one can add a teaspoon of sugar, an aspirin tablet or a crystal of potassium permanganate to the water. As a decorative flowering plant, the aster is used for diverse plantings against a green lawn. Groups of shrubs can serve as a backdrop. Asters should not be planted together with small perennials because they will be overwhelmed by the asters. There are many interesting cultivars of this species. Some of them are described below.

'Аметист' ('Amethyst') - Bushes up to 100 cm tall. Heads semi-double, ray florets in 5–6 rows, dark lilac; disc florets light yellow. Flowers 30–35 days.
'Баллард' ('Ballatd') - A beautiful, leafy bush up to 100 cm tall. Blooms abundantly. Inflorescences 3 cm in diameter. Ray florets bright pink. Used for making bouquets and other arrangements. Good for group plantings, masses, and singly against shrubs.
'Бичвуд Райвел' ('Beechwood Rival') - Plant up to 70 cm tall. Ray florets purple-red. Flowers 30–35 days.
'Гербст Вундер' ('Herbst Wunder') - Plant reaches 90 cm tall. Bush upright, slender, leafy; flowers in September. Ray florets pure white, disc florets yellow. Inflorescences small, 2.5 cm in diameter. Flowers 40–45 days. Used for various types of plantings.
'Дик Баллард' ('Dick Ballard') - Bushes up to 100 cm tall. Inflorescences about 3 cm in diameter. Ray florets pink. Flowers 30–35 days.
'Нанси Баллард' ('Nancy Ballard') - Plant up to 150 cm tall, bushy, densely covered with leaves. Inflorescences 3 cm in diameter. Ray florets delicate lilac-pink, very decorative; disc florets yellow. Flowers in autumn for 25–30 days. Used for cutting and for various groups, ribbons, borders, singly, etc.
'Октоберфест' ('Octoberfest') - Bushes up to 100 cm tall. Heads up to 3.5 cm in diameter, semi-double, ray florets in 6–7 rows, blue. Flowers 30–35 days.
'Плэнти' - Large bush up to 140 cm tall, branched. Numerous, large inflorescences up to 4 cm in diameter, very beautiful and abundant. Ray florets deep pink. A valuable cultivar for cutting and for garden design. Begins flowering in September.
'Ройял Блю' ('Royal Blue') - Bush 120 cm tall, lush, leafy. Inflorescences fairly large, 3.5–4 cm in diameter. Ray florets of a rare violet-blue color. Flowers from late summer. Used for making bouquets and loose arrangements. Beautiful in group plantings, borders, masses, ribbons, and singly.
'Рут Баллард' ('Rut Ballard') - Graceful bush, 100 cm tall. The upper part of the bush is branched. Inflorescences consist of pink ray florets and yellow disc florets, 3 cm in diameter. Flowers in early autumn. Used for cutting and for decorating various sites, especially beautiful in masses, groups and singly.
'Сансет' ('Sunset') - A fairly tall, spreading bush reaching 120 cm. Inflorescences 3 cm in diameter, ray florets in 2–3 rows densely raspberry-colored, very beautiful, abundantly cover the whole bush. Flowers 30–35 days. Very beautiful in bouquets and other arrangements, in vases of various shapes and colors. Very effective in different planting forms, especially large areas.
'Сатурн' ('Saturn') - A spreading bush up to 150 cm tall. Ray florets of a shade unusually for asters, delicate blue. Inflorescence diameter 4 cm. At full bloom the bush is entirely covered with flowers and is stunningly beautiful against the background of shrubs on the lawn. Flowers 25–30 days. An excellent material for cutting and good in borders, ribbons, groups and solitary plantings.
'Сэм Бенхем' ('Sam Benham') - Bush 140 cm tall, upright, compact, well-leaved. Inflorescences 3.5 cm in diameter, ray florets white; disc florets yellow. Flowers from mid-September for 30–35 days. Produces seed. Combines well with other perennials that are tall and bloom at the same time as this cultivar.