Alert Aster

Other Names: New York Aster, Michaelmas Daisy

Description:

Profusion of purple-red flowers and attractive lance-like green leaves; prefers cool, moist soil; water the root zone instead of from the top to reduce fungal disease; water regularly to encourgage more blooms

Ornamental Features:

Alert Aster features beautiful purple daisy flowers with yellow eyes at the ends of the stems from late summer to late fall, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. It's narrow leaves remain dark green in colour throughout the season. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.

Landscape Attributes:

Alert Aster is a dense herbaceous perennial with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance perennial, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Disease

Alert Aster is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• General Garden Use
• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Border Edging
• Container Planting

Plant Characteristics:

Alert Aster will grow to be about 15 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 18 inches. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 8 years.

This perennial does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This plant can be propagated by division.

This is a selection of a native North American species.