Characteristics of a Late-Flowering Purple Aster

Flower

• The flower is deep purple, with long narrow petals that fan out around a yellow center. The entire flower head is only 1 inch in diameter, and many blooms grow on a single plant. They are a strong butterfly attractant.

Leaves

• The leaves are oblong, up to 2 inches and hairy, but lack toothing on the margins. They are classified as “clasping.” This means that the base of the leaf, where it attaches to the stem, partially or fully encircles the stem. This is a noteworthy characteristic of the late-flowering aster.

Stem

• The stems are extremely slender and can be brittle. They possess the same hairy texture as the leaves. Each plant has multiple stems, but each stem produces only one flower. The rough stem distinguishes this aster from its close cousin, the smooth aster.

Culture

• The late-flowering purple aster is found in dry woodlands termed open, meaning there is adequate sunlight, as well as in grasslands. It tolerates both poor soil and drought very well. It has few disease or insect problems, although it does occasionally succumb to powdery mildew and aster wilt. Aster wilt usually only occurs when the plant is grown in clay or other poorly drained soil.

Uses

• Choose late-flowering purple asters to extend garden color until well into the autumn. Their mounding growth is ideal as garden borders, or planted in masses to be the focal point of any flower bed. Use them to invite butterflies to your landscaping beds into the fall. They work well mixed with other fall asters, like tall-growing, blue-flowered and purple-dome asters, all late bloomers in a rainbow of whites, pinks and blues.