Asters are September's Plant of the Month
By September, many summer flowers have lost their vigor, but these last warm weeks of summer are when asters take center stage. Along with the color brought by these daisy-like blooms, they offer late-season nectar for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.
Gaining their name from the Greek word for “star”, the aster earns its place with beauty and purpose as it fills borders with purples, pinks, blues, whites, and rich rosy tones. For gardeners who want color that carries the season into fall, asters blend easily with ornamental grasses, goldenrod, mums, sedum, and other late-blooming perennials. Many of our native asters occur in a range from purple to blue, such as England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) or New York aster (S. novi-beglii) also known as the Michaelmas daisy. Cultivars of the native aster have been bred for specific traits such as striking color of the magenta ‘Alma Potschke’ or shorter, mounding growth habit of the ‘Purple Dome’ variety. White wood aster (Eurybia divaricate) can handle more shade than many sun-loving types and bring much-needed color to a wooded area.
No matter what type or size of garden, you can find just the right aster for your location.
growing asters in your garden
Asters are not fussy, but they do best when planted where they can settle in and grow with steady support. Water young plants regularly during their first season. Once established, many asters handle short dry spells, though they bloom better with even moisture. A layer of mulch helps keep roots cool and reduces weeds.
A few additional care habits make your aster even more spectacular:
In a traditional perennial border, place taller asters toward the back and shorter varieties along paths or bed edges.
Pinch back tall varieties in late spring or early summer to encourage bushier growth.
Stake tall varieties before they flop, especially in windy spots.
Divide crowded clumps every few years in spring to refresh the plant.
As these plants bloom towards the end of the gardening season, consider leaving the seed heads for wildlife such as migratory and overwintering bird species.
In a traditional perennial border, place taller asters toward the back and shorter varieties along paths or bed edges.
Asters in Symbolism and History
Asters carry meaning as well as color. They are often associated with love, patience, wisdom, and faith. They are also widely recognized as a September birth flower, which suits their natural bloom season in much of the United States.
Ancient stories connect asters with the stars, and one legend links them to the Greek goddess Astraea. In the tale, asters grew where her tears fell, becoming star-like flowers on the earth. Like many plant legends, it is more poetic than scientific, but it shows how strongly people have connected these flowers with the sky. Now, asters are appreciated once again in native plant gardens and naturalized landscapes with a mix of beauty and ecological value that keeps them relevant in modern gardens.
Perhaps the greatest appeal of asters is their timing: arriving near the end of the growing season with color, nectar, and a sense that renewal is always possible, even as autumn beckons.
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