NICE! Plant of the Month
(Aster spp.)
Description:
There are several species of blue-flowered asters growing wild in the Hill Country. Asters sold in nurseries may be one of these natives (difficult to tell apart), or may be a cultivated hybrid. They are usually identified as Aster spp., and their origin may be unknown. All produce showy fall blooms and are very drought tolerant once established.
Fall Aster is a colonizing perennial, growing as a 2-3 ft. tall bushy shrub. In the fall, it produces an abundance of small, daisy-like, lavender-blue to deep purple flowers with yellow centers. It may freeze back in winter, but will return in spring.
Deer Resistance:
Resistant to deer.
Planting Sites:
Fall Asters will grow in shade, part shade, or full sun. They are tolerant of poor soils on well-drained sites. Not particular as to soil type, they occur in sand, loam, clay, caliche, or limestone soils.
Because the lower leaves tend to die back, Fall Asters planted in a bed may look better when placed behind other plants. These asters should be given room to grow, since they form colonies by rhizomes.
Planting Instructions:
Dig a hole twice as wide as, but the same depth as the nursery container. Carefully remove plant from the pot and plant at the same depth as the soil in the container. No fertilizer, soil amendments, or mulching are necessary.
Watering Instructions:
If planting in spring: Water in well after planting, using root stimulator according to directions. Water deeply every 7-10 days, checking an inch or two into soil at edge of root ball to determine soil moisture. Skip a watering after a rainfall of ½ to 1 inch.
First fall/winter:
Maintain this watering schedule until the first fall after planting. Once established, asters should not need additional water. Too much water will cause them to grow too aggressively and they will bloom less.
Other care:
Asters may be cut back in spring or summer to make the plants fuller and put on more blooms. To control spreading, dig up plants around the edge of the colony to transplant or share. Root division is best done in winter.
NICE! Tip:
Use Fall Asters instead of Liriope, Monkey Grass, Annuals, or Asiatic Jasmine.
Look for the NICE! Plant of the Month signs and information sheets on your next visit to a participating Boerne nursery. And thank you for supporting native plants by using them in your landscapes.
