Perennial asters: description of 13 species, care and planting at home, methods of propagation and cultivation from seeds (Photo & Video) + Reviews

One of the most common types. It is also called astra Korzhinsky. The height of the plant is from 20 to 30 cm. It has horizontal roots and many shoots.

It blooms at the end of May. The duration of flowering is about a month. The flower is 4-6 cm in diameter. There is one flower on each peduncle.

Outwardly, the inflorescences resemble daisies. The view is replete with many colors of petals: pink, orange, purple, lilac and others.

The frost resistance of the variety is high.

Common varieties of alpine aster:

Native to North America. This variety is also called virgin. Her bushes grow up to 50 - 150 cm. Their shape is an inverted pyramid. The plant grows very quickly. This is facilitated by a creeping root system.

Paniculate inflorescences, consisting of many baskets, their number can reach up to 200 pcs. The main color is lilac, but breeders have bred varieties of other shades. Some of them have several rows of petals. Their diameter varies from 2 to 4 cm.

Flowering begins in early autumn and continues until frost. There are varieties with a summer flowering period. It tolerates cold winters well. Does not require shelter.

The variety is widely used under the cut. In vases, it lasts up to two weeks, subject to regular water changes and removal of the lower leaves.

Some varieties related to the New Belgian species:

It grows no more than 100 cm high. It blooms profusely. Her flowers are small, with a diameter of no more than 1.5 cm. They are pink, white, blue.

The flowering period is long, up to two months. It begins in September, continues until frost in November.

The variety is highly drought tolerant. It calmly withstands frosts down to -35 degrees. In the countries of the post-Soviet space, it is not very common.

A feature of the variety are the branches sloping down. It can be used as a groundcover.

Description of several varieties of heather aster:

This species strongly resembles a peony in its flowers. This feature gave the species its name.

Flower petals have different lengths: outer ones are longer, inner ones are shorter. Their edges are bent inward. The inflorescence has a spherical shape.

Bushes grow no higher than 70 cm. They are distinguished by strong shoots, but few of them grow in number. The flowering period is July-October.

Description of varieties of peony aster:

It grows from 30 to 60 cm. The bush has the shape of a hemisphere. This variety is also called the European aster. It is widely distributed in Europe and the Caucasus.

The inflorescences are loose, consist of flowers up to 5 cm in diameter. Each of them contains up to 15 pcs. baskets. The flowering period is from mid-summer to September, averaging 65 days. The shade of flowers depends on the variety.

Several popular varieties of Italian aster:

It grows upright, spherical or hemispherical branched bushes. They grow up to 100 cm.

Shoots have dense pubescence. The diameter of the flowers is from 3 to 7 cm. It depends on the variety and the conditions in which the plant grows. The flowering period begins in August. Its maximum duration is 45 days.

Common varieties of bush aster:

Differs in high growth of bushes up to 200 cm.

Shoots crown inflorescences in the form of panicles. They are baskets. One inflorescence contains up to 30 of them. The diameter of the average flower is 4 cm. The size depends on the variety, as well as their color.

The variety begins to bloom from the onset of autumn until frost. It calmly withstands temperatures down to -5 degrees. At the same time, it does not lose the elegance of the bushes.

For regions with severe winters, it is recommended to cover the plant for the winter.

Consider several popular varieties of New England aster:

Originally from the Far East, Amur and Primorye.

The stems of this variety begin to branch at the top. Their lower part is smooth. Their height is approximately 1 m. Flower petals look like rays. Their length is 2 mm. They are painted in pale blue or white.

The flowering period lasts from August to October. Tolerates drought well. It is rarely used in cultivated plantings. The ground part of this type of asters is medicinal.

The native distribution environment is the Eurasian continent. Most often found in southern Europe and Asia. The average height of the bush is 60 cm. The flowers of this species have a color from light lilac to purple. Their core is yellow. Inflorescences are collected in baskets or corymbs.

The flowering period falls on July-August. The ground part of the plant is widely used in folk medicine. It contains alkaloids and saponins.

Native to North America. Its height is 100 cm.

The species is distinguished by foliage. It is of two types:

The leaves grow on purple petioles.

The inflorescences are baskets with a diameter of 3 cm. They can be painted in all shades of purple. They bloom at the end of summer. The flowering period lasts about 75 days.

The variety has increased frost resistance. Withstands temperatures down to -40 degrees. Rarely found in garden plantings. Large-leaved aster bushes most often bloom on one side. This minus is not particularly liked by flower growers.

Distributed in Europe and post-Soviet countries.

Bushes grow from 30 to 100 cm. In shape, they resemble a hemisphere. They are abundantly dotted with small flowers. Their diameter does not exceed 2.5 cm.

Inflorescences are represented by loose baskets. Outwardly, they look like daisies. Blooms for about 60 days, from August to early October.

The foliage of this species is small, openwork. Thanks to her, the bushes seem airy. The variety is drought tolerant. She can't stand drafts.

It can be either dwarf 15 - 30 cm tall, or medium up to 150 cm. The inflorescences of this species are small, with a diameter of no more than 2 cm. Their petals can be painted white, pink, blue.

The heart-leaved variety blooms profusely and for a long time.Flowers bloom in the summer and wither by the onset of frost. The species tolerates frost well. He is not afraid of temperatures up to -40 degrees.

Native to Siberia, found in Japan and China. Almost never used in culture. Medicinal properties widely used in alternative medicine are of particular value.

The bushes are small, grow no higher than 50 cm. The inflorescences are baskets up to 4 cm in diameter. They grow alone. They are painted in purple or pink tones.

The variety perfectly tolerates frosts down to -40 degrees. In winter, it does not need shelter. He is not afraid of drought. Differs in unpretentiousness.

A dangerous disease for asters is fusarium. The infection comes from the soil. The causative agent is the Fusarium fungus. He is very tenacious. In the ground, he can wait for his moment for several years.

The first signs appear on the foliage. They turn yellow, curl and fall off. The stems are covered with dark spots. Sometimes spores of the fungus appear on the surface, they look like a pinkish coating.

A feature of this disease is the defeat of one part of the plant. Most often, they are affected during the formation of buds.

Favorable conditions for the development of the disease:

The affected bush must be destroyed. There are no effective methods of treatment, but it can infect neighboring plants. The earth needs to be treated with foundation.

It is manifested by blackening of seedlings, seedlings and the base of the stem of an adult plant. Then they start to rot. Young seedlings die in 2-3 days.

The disease is in the soil, it spreads from it. The reason for it is wet soil and dense crops.

The prevention of this infection will be the disinfection of the land before planting. To do this, it is shed with a thick solution of potassium permanganate.

Diseased plants must be removed. Sprinkle the soil surface with wood ash. Reduce the frequency of watering. Thin out dense plantings. If possible, transplant the plants into a new substrate.

This virus is carried by cicadas and aphids. A sign is the brightened veins of the leaves. The buds turn green, the plant stops its growth.

To fight the disease, you need to remove its carriers. Spray the bushes with special means, for example, Primorye. Affected plants cannot be saved, they are subject to mandatory burning.

It is also called septoria. Manifested during the formation of buds. Brown spots appear on the leaves. They gradually dry up and fall off.

Weakened plants that are not cared for according to the rules are susceptible to attack. Spraying with a solution of Bordeaux liquid or copper oxychloride helps.