All types and varieties of asters are divided into three groups. The first includes perennial varieties of asters that bloom at the end of June. The second group consists of plants whose flowering period lasts from July to August. The third group includes species of perennial asters that bloom from September to October. All varieties of these flowers are extremely popular, as they retain their decorative effect in flower beds for a long time, look great in bouquets and various landscape compositions.
Check out the description and photos of the species and varieties of asters of different flowering periods presented on this page.
Types and varieties of perennial asters and photos of flowers
Aster (ASTER) belongs to the Asteraceae (Compositae) family. The genus has about 500 species, the flowers of asters are mostly needle-like, of various colors. These herbaceous perennials with rhizomes are diverse in the shape of the leaves, the height of the bush, but for all the “flower” is a basket-shaped inflorescence; marginal flowers in it are ligulate, brightly colored; the central ones are small, yellow, tubular. Most often, the following species and varieties are cultivated in central Russia.
1. Early flowering (June – early July) asters 10-30 cm high:
Alpine aster (A. alpinus) is a bush with a rosette of gray-green pubescent leaves.
Grades:
Albus and Happy End are pink.
Aster Anders (A. andersonii) – low purple “chamomile” and Tongolese (A. tongolensis) .
“Berggarten” – purple-blue.
2. Asters of average flowering period (July-August) 30-70 cm high:
Italian aster (A. amellus) – blue-violet “daisies”, purple.
Astra Frikara (A. frikartii) – taller with dark purple “daisies”.
Cleansing aster (A. sedifolius).
Pay attention to the photo of “Nanus” asters – they reach a height of 20-30 cm, the flowers are blue in color.
3. Late flowering asters (IX-X):
Shrub aster (A. dumosus) – dense, relatively low bushes (25-45 cm) with dense leafy stems.
Most of its varieties do not have time to bloom completely in central Russia, they are grown as decorative deciduous plants. Before others bloom:
“Niobea” – white, “Spatrose” – dark pink;
“Venus” – pink-lilac.
Aster heather (A. ericoides) – height 120 cm, pale lilac.
The New England astra (A. The novaeangliae) and a. new Belgian (A. novibelgii) – plants of wet meadows in eastern North America, form tall (up to 180 cm) bushes from numerous rigid branching stems with lanceolate leaves.
As you can see in the photo, this type of aster has small (1.5–2.5 cm in diameter) baskets, collected in a dense panicle. Numerous varieties differ in color and degree of terry:
“Rudelsburg” – pink.
Marie Ballard are blue.
Crimson Brocade – deep red.
“Flamingo” – pale pink.
The spread aster (A. divaricatus) is a forest plant, 40-50 cm high.
Growing conditions. Sunny areas with rich, normally moist, neutral soils.
Breeding. By dividing the bush in the spring.