PEREN N I AL FOCUS
BOBBIE SCHWARTZ, FAPLD Bobbie’s Green Thumb Aster novae-angliae ‘September Ruby.”
FALL BLOOMING ASTERS Twenty years ago, Asters were easy. There were several different species and cultivars. Since then, the taxonomists have been working hard to confuse us. Now, instead of one genus, we have many. The genus Aster now seems to be used exclusively for Eurasian species while our native Asters have been divided into several other genii: Symphyotrichum, Eurybia, Doellingeria, and Ionactis, just to mention a few. If we’re confused, pity the home gardener. The perennial Aster, with its many choices of color and height, should be a prominent feature in every fall garden even though many have often been considered merely as roadside weeds. Years of hybridizing, however, have created many cultivars that should be welcome in any garden. Asters should also be considered for home cutting gardens; they are specifically raised in greenhouses for the florist trade. Aster species are not picky about soil but they must have full sun and adequate moisture to keep reblooming. Some Aster species bloom in summer rather than fall but they all have flowers with a daisy-like appearance and alternate leaves.
8 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association
Aster cordifolius / Symphyotrichum cordifolium (Heart-Leaf Aster) is not well known but I have found it to be a very tough plant. Mine is sited in one of those “Oh, no” sites – waterlogged in spring and like cement in summer, as well as only getting water when Mother Nature sees fit. Hundreds of small, pale blue flowers, on five to six foot slender but strong stems, greet the eye in September. The foliage is heartshaped at the base but lanceolate on the stems. This Aster is excellent for flower arranging. ‘Little Carlow’ is a shorter cultivar, topping out at 2 feet, making it more usable in the perennial garden. continued on page 10