Glass from Sweden, Wedgwood from England, perfume from Paris, and plants from Tibet somehow have more glamor than similar objects from our land.
Nevertheless, just as we’ve recognized in recent years that American designers and craftsmen can fashion the finest wares, we have become increasingly conscious of the grace and beauty that plants from our forests and meadows can contribute to our gardens.
True, some have had to travel a long road to reach our gardens, all the way, in fact, to Europe and back. Keen Old World plantsmen sensed their value more quickly than we did.
They tried out the plants, rubbed off some rough edges through breeding, and sent forth refined forms to take their places in American gardens.
Look what English hybridists have done with some of our native hardy asters! For many years, these roadside plants went “unhonored and unsung. Then interest was awakened by the appearance of beautiful garden forms front abroad.
American plant men began to work with them, and plant collectors sought other species in their natural haunts to add to the perennial border, rock garden, and wild garden.
Today, hardy asters highlight the garden scene across the American continent from midsummer well into fall.
Widely-Known New England Aster
One of the finest and most widely known of the asters and a parent of many horticultural forms—the old BARR’S PINK, the choice HARRINGTON’S PINK, and the comparatively new SURVIVOR; to name one is the NEW ENGLAND ASTER (Aster novae-angliae).
Its showy rich purple flowers, borne in terminal clusters, dress up many fields from Quebec to South Carolina and westward to Colorado from August through October.
As for its foliage, the leaves are lance-shaped, hairy, and yellowish green, the basal leaves more nearly heart-shaped. From 4′ to 5′ feet high, this aster itself and its more refined offspring is a superb subject for the rear of the hardy border.
Prolific New York Aster
Another prolific parent of many garden forms is the NEW YORK ASTER (Aster novi-belgii), a 3′ to 5′ feet tall plant.
Its pretty bluish lavender flowers are freely produced in large branching clusters, and its leaves are long and lance-shaped.
Leading varieties developed from this aster, and in a nice range of colors, include the following:
- MOUNT Everest, white
- CLIMAX, lavender-blue
- AMETHYST, deep violet-purple
- The new VIORRA, of the same tone
- The new PALMYRA, pure pink
- BEECHWOOD CHALLENGER, clear red
Desirable Blue Wood Aster
Among other desirable species from the Eastern States is Aster cordifolius, whose common name, BLUE WOOD ASTER, hints as to the color of the flower heads and its preference for partial shade.
So give it a corner in the shady or wild garden, or place it along the edge of woodland, and it will flower profusely through September and October.
What are its other characteristics? Well, it’s a branching, 5-foot plant with large heart-shaped basal leaves and narrower stem leaves.
Shade-Tolerant Big Blue Aster
Shade tolerant, too, is the BIG BLUE ASTER (A. spectabilis), and you’ll find that it will yield freely from late July through September of its violet-blue flowers, if given a clean sandy soil somewhat on the acid side.
Its common name is due to the size of the flowers, as much as 1 1/2″ to 2″ inches across, and not the size of the plant, for it is compact and low growing.
The new, dwarf, deep blue flowered variety Bossuat (which wants an open situation in full sun) and the rare, bright violet SPECTABILM NANA are highly recommended for the rock garden.
Smooth Aster
The SMOOTH ASTER (A. Bevis), bearing great heads of flowers in a wonderful shade of blue, has also found its way into some eastern gardens and, under cultivation, reaches a height of 40″ inches or so.
The SMOOTH ASTER inhabits open situations, with dry sandy soil, from Maine to Louisiana.
From this, you can judge how to handle it in your garden. I believe a dwarf mountain variety, SUBALPINUS, from the Rockies, makes an ideal plant for the rock garden.
Heath Aster
Another subject for the rock garden, provided you watch that its rampant root stalks do not encroach on its neighbor’s territory and that you reduce its height by repeated clippings, is the HEATH ASTER (A. ericoides).
Miniature starry white flowers smoothen the 18- to 30-inch plant in September. Two splendid hybrids, BIXE STAR and CHASTITY, are available—English offspring of American parentage.
Lush Pine Aster
The PINE ASTER, or SAVORY-LEAVED ASTER as some call A. linariifolius, becomes a more luxuriant mound in the garden than when left to its own devices in its native home, the dry sandy meadows of the eastern seaboard states.
Be sure to give it sandy, acid soil, and you’ll have a plant for a commanding position in the rock garden.
Its stiff, densely-leaved stems, 10″ inches high, carry flattened raceme-like clusters of the violet ray, gold-centered flowers from September to mid-October.
Rock Aster
Western sections of the country furnish some lovely members of the aster tribe. One of the best and most highly regarded rock gardeners is the ROCK ASTER, (Aster alpinus) from mountainous regions not only of western North America but also of Europe and Asia.
While the natural colors of the flowers are violet to blue, color variations, have been developed—bright blue, bright red, deep purple, and white. A large-flowered, lavender-blue form of the Rock Aster, named GOLIATH, has been fairly recently introduced.
Another distinctive gem for the rock garden from the Rockies of Idaho and Colorado – is ASTER CANBY, which has showy, clear pink to rose flowers.
Colorado is also the home of ASTER PORTER’, which endures without complaint a spell of really dry weather and looks well in the large rock garden, over a stone wall, or in strategic positions in the perennial border.
Early-Blooming Aster Meritus
The prairies of North and South Dakota offer us the dwarf ASTER MERITUS, which has the special merit of blooming earlier in the summer than most asters.
July will find the 8- to 12-inch plant covered with pinkish violet flowers in almost flat-topped clusters.
Another prairie species found in Wisconsin, Texas, and elsewhere is ASTER KRUMLIN, burdened with the cumbersome common name of PRAIRIE GEM Burn ASTER.
The broad 12-inch plant is a solid sheet of blue ray flowers with gold centers in September. Named varieties are now available, with one selection listed as DREAM OF BEAUTY.
Aster Apricus Roseus
Plant specialists have, of course, tried out native asters other than the ones I’ve mentioned here. But they’ve discarded them for one reason or another, often because they’re too weedy or coarse in the habit for garden consideration.
Now and then, however, a species proves to have distinct garden possibilities, and then its name is included in the ever-growing list of useful, attractive Asters.
This spring, I noticed ASTER APRICUS ROSEUS in a rock garden specialist’s catalog. This dwarf member from Colorado is, I’m told, a delightful title subject with rose-red lowers.
44659 by Dorothy Ebel Hansell