Aster flowers can definitely be the “star” in your garden. These easy-to-grow flowers are prolific bloomers and excellent for late summer and fall displays of color.
Asters are straightforward and rewarding plants to grow. These adaptable flowers have a simple, elegant appearance that adds beauty to the garden. They come in many sizes, heights, and colors, which means there’s an aster for almost any garden. Asters are extremely easy to grow and very reliable. They make long-lasting cut flowers and provide much-needed pollen for visiting bees and other pollinators.
One of our favorite varieties is Powder Puff China Aster, an annual variety that produces fragrant 2 to 3-inch double blooms on 2-foot stems. This mix will give you a range of colors from purple to pink.
These beauties resemble chrysanthemums but are much less fussy and are easy to grow from seed. China Asters will produce abundantly from late summer until the first frost.
As a gardener, I always look forward to the vibrant colors that asters bring to the garden in late summer and fall. Their cheerful daisy-like blooms in shades of purple pink red, white, and blue brighten up the landscape when many other flowers are fading.
But have you ever wondered what asters look like before they burst into bloom? Identifying asters in their early growth stages can be tricky since the plants look quite different before those colorful flowers open up.
In this article I’ll walk you through exactly what to look for so you can recognize asters at every stage – from first sprouting to just before bloom.
The Basics on Asters
Let’s start with a quick overview of some background on these fabulous fall-blooming perennials:
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There are over 600 species of asters. The two main garden types are New England asters (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) and New York asters (Symphyotrichum novi-belgii).
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Asters are hardy perennials that bloom from late summer through fall. They grow 1-6 feet tall depending on variety.
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They prefer full sun to partial shade and moist, well-drained soil. Afternoon shade is best in hot climates.
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Deer tend to avoid asters thanks to their bitter taste and strong scent.
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Asters spread slowly by rhizomes and self-seeding. Mature plants can be divided every 2-3 years.
Now that we’ve covered some aster basics, let’s look at how to identify them at each stage of growth before they bloom.
How to Identify Young Aster Seedlings
Asters grown from seed start out looking fairly nondescript as young seedlings. Here’s what to look for:
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Leaves – The first true leaves are oval or rounded in shape with slightly toothed edges. They are light green and have a fuzzy texture.
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Stems – Stems are smooth and green initially. As plants grow, stems remain green but may take on a red or purple tint.
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Height – Seedlings start out under 6 inches tall and remain fairly short early on.
Aster seedlings don’t give much indication of their identity at this young stage. You’ll need to wait for more mature growth to positively identify the species.
What Mature Asters Look Like Pre-Bloom
As aster plants mature, their features become more distinctive. Here are some tips for identifying mature asters before they bloom:
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Plant Height – Mature height can help identify species. Short varieties grow under 2 feet, medium 2-4 feet, and tall varieties over 4 feet.
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Leaves – Shape can be oval, spoon-shaped, or slender. Undersides may be hairy or smooth. Color ranges from light to medium green.
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Stems – Green, reddish, or dark brown. Texture is smooth, hairy, or woolly depending on type.
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Branching Pattern – Growth habit ranges from upright and columnar to bushy and spreading.
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Flower Buds – Scan plants for plump, rounded buds along stems and branching stems. An easy way to confirm asters.
Some key features of common garden asters:
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New England – Tall at up to 6 feet. Thick hairy stems and rough, hairy leaves.
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New York – Shorter from 1-4 feet. Thinner green or red stems with smooth lance-shaped leaves.
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Aromatic – Bushy at 2-4 feet tall. Distinctive aroma from leaves.
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Heath – Compact at 1-2 feet tall with profuse tiny white buds before bloom.
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Smooth – Medium height with slender reddish stems and slender smooth leaves.
Caring for Asters Before Bloom
Proper care in spring and summer ensures your asters thrive and bloom abundantly later in the season:
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Pinch back stems by 1/3 in early summer to promote bushy growth.
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Apply organic fertilizer or compost in spring when growth resumes.
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Water regularly during dry periods to keep soil evenly moist.
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Stake taller varieties to prevent flopping when in bloom.
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Divide mature plants every 2-3 years in early spring.
With the right care, your asters will reward you with a fabulous display of cheerful fall flowers! Now that you know how to identify asters at every stage, you can better enjoy watching them grow and bloom.
Enjoying the Asters Bloom Season
After patiently waiting for those flowers, the asters bloom season is a fabulous time in the garden! Here’s what you can expect:
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Bloom Times – Flowers open from late summer through fall over a period of 2-6 weeks depending on type.
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Flower Forms – Choices include single, semi-double, and fully double blooms with classic daisy shapes.
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Flower Colors – Asters come in beautiful hues like purple, violet, magenta, pink, red, blue and white.
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Uses in the Garden – Feature asters in borders, containers, cut flower arrangements, pollinator and wildflower gardens.
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Deadheading – Remove spent blooms to encourage more flowering into the fall season.
Now that you know exactly what to look for, you can identify asters with confidence at every stage of growth. A little patience waiting for the blooms will pay off in a fabulous fall flower display!
So next time you spot some young sprouts or mysterious greenery in your garden, take a closer look. It just might be asters preparing to put on a gorgeous floral show!
Planting, Growing, and Caring for Asters
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Asters enliven the garden in late summer and early fall when many flower blooms fade—providing a late-season treat for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators! Plant these deer-resistant native perennials to keep the color going. Learn all about planting, growing, and caring for asters.
Cold-hardy perennials with daisy-like flowers, aster flowers are the pollinator stars of the garden from late summer through fall. Growing 1 to 6 feet tall, depending on variety, these upright flowering plants bear cheerful, star-shaped flower heads ranging from purple to white to blue.
Even though there are more than 600 aster species, the two most commonly encountered asters in home gardening are the New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) and the New York aster (S. novi-belgii). Several years ago, the Aster genus was split into multiple genera. Aster now covers most European and Asian asters, while those native to North America belong to Symphyotrichum.
Some hybrid varieties are available in showy colors, yet “wild type” species native to your region are generally a wise choice for the ecologically minded gardener despite not being quite as flashy as the cultivated varieties in some cases. Learn more about recommended varieties further down this page.
Aster is versatile: Depending on the height, it’s suitable for borders, rock gardens, or wildflower gardens. As well as being a valuable pollinator plant for bees and butterflies, its tasty seed heads are sought by cardinals, chickadees, finches, nuthatches, and many other seed eaters.
According to the North Carolina Extension, “Any species or cultivars of this genus would be a lovely addition to any home garden. It may be planted in a container for use on a porch or patio. It will also add color to a cottage garden or border garden. Butterflies and bees will appreciate the flowers, particularly as summer is ending and the evenings are getting cooler.” Read Next
Asters prefer areas with cool, moist summers and cool nights in sites with full to partial sun. In warmer climates, asters do not like the hot midday sun. Soil should be moist but well-draining and loamy. Wet clay soil will lead to root rot, and dry sandy soil will lead to plant wilt. Mix 2 to 3 inches of compost into the soil before planting.
When to Plant Asters
- The best time to put young aster plants in the ground is in mid- to late spring after the danger of frost has passed. (See local frost dates.)
- Or, you can plant mature, potted asters when available at garden centers (typically in the late summer or early fall).
- Asters can be grown from seed, but germination can be uneven. If desired, plant seeds in the fall or start them indoors in the winter.
Aromatic Aster – A Complete Profile
FAQ
What month do asters bloom?
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Garden Designhttps://www.gardendesign.comAster Flowers: Plant & Care for These Fall-Blooming PerennialsApr 4, 2024 — Asters are daisy-like flowers that bloom in late-summer and early-fall. … August through October; varies depending on species and cultivar. … Thi…
What are the disadvantages of asters?
Asters are generally robust and easy to grow plants but they can suffer from powdery mildew (particularly cultivars of Symphyotrichom novi-belgii). This fungal problem is less likely to occur if they are grown on a moisture retentive soil.
What do asters look like in summer?
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Summer Foliage:Asters will have green leaves during the summer, but they won’t be covered in the vibrant, daisy-like blooms that they produce in late summer and fall.
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Minimal Blooms:You’ll likely see very few or no blooms on aster plants during the summer months.
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Late Summer/Fall Blooms:The real show happens in late summer and early fall, when asters burst into bloom with their characteristic purple, pink, white, or blue flowers.
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Types of Asters:There are many different types of asters, and some varieties bloom earlier or later than others, but they all share the common feature of blooming in the cooler months of the year.
What do aster plant leaves look like?
Leaves and stems:
Lowest leaves are large and heart-shaped, up to 8 inches long and 6 inches wide, on long stalks, becoming progressively smaller, more egg-shaped, and shorter stalked as they ascend the stem, with the uppermost leaves reduced to stalkless bracts.