Description of a Purple Aster

Appearance

• Late purple aster grows to a mature height of about 1-1/2 feet. The plant has slightly hairy, brittle stems topped with daisylike blooms up to an inch in diameter. The leaves are coarse textured and ovate to oblong, growing to be up to 2 inches long. Flower petals are bluish or violet with yellow disco florets. Its flowers appear from late summer until autumn.

Similar Plants

• Purple aster superficially resembles smooth aster (A. laevis), another native aster flower that also flowers in summer and autumn. Smooth aster grows to be between 1 to 3 feet tall producing inch-long flowers with pale-purple petals and yellow disco florets. Smooth aster has very smooth, waxy stems and leaves. Its stems are tinged with purple or burgundy. The stems have a whitish bloom.

Habitat

• Late purple aster occurs throughout much of the United States, including a large portion of the East, as well as well as the Midwest, parts of Texas, Georgia and Tennessee. In the wild, the plant thrives in dry, open woods and fields. As a garden plant, late purple aster grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zones 4 to 8. For best results, grow it in a well-draining soil in either full sunlight or partial shade. Allow for some air circulation, as crowded plants may develop foliar diseases.

Features

• Late purple aster is mostly free of pests and disease, although the plant is susceptible to powdery mildew. Aster wilt may occur in plants grown in compacted, heavy clay soils. The flowers are attractive to butterflies, making late purple aster a good addition to a wildlife-themed garden. The plant has a naturalizing effect suitable for woodland gardens and cottage gardens. Late purple aster thrives in rock gardens.