Frikart’s aster

Frikart’s aster: how do you recognise it?

Habit

A loose, slightly arching clump about 70 cm tall and 45 cm wide, with branching stems.

Leaves

Narrow to oval, dark green and rough to the touch.

Flower

Single flowers about 5–6 cm across with narrow rays around a yellow centre, from July to October.

Colour

Lavender to violet-blue.

Roots

A compact rootstock that widens slowly, without becoming invasive.

Flowering: July–October · Plants: April–May · Pruning: March

Why grow it?

• Flowers for four months, from July to October, longer than almost any other aster.
• Hardly troubled by powdery mildew.
• One of the best nectar plants for bees and butterflies in late summer.
• A lovely cut flower in a soft lavender blue.
• Compact enough for a small garden or the middle of a border.

Frikart’s aster: where does it grow best?

• Full sun: that is where it flowers most and its stems stay sturdiest.
• Well-drained sandy, loamy or clay soil; acid, neutral or chalky.
• Dry to normally moist. Wet soil in winter is its worst enemy.
• Lovely in the middle of a sunny border, among ornamental grasses or in a large pot.
• Allow 40–45 cm between plants.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

0.7 m tall, 0.45 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Ornamental grasses: Airy stems that set off the lavender-blue flowers.
• Orpine: Pink flower heads at the same time and in the same sunny spot.
• Black-eyed Susan: Yellow flowers as a warm contrast to the blue.
• Coneflower: Pink discs for even more butterflies.
• Catmint: A second blue flower for the same dry, sunny spot.

Frikart’s aster: when and how to plant it?

Plant in April–May.

1. Plant only in April or May, so it is well rooted before winter. Autumn planting often fails.
2. Dig a hole slightly larger than the pot; on heavy soil, mix in some coarse sand.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as in the pot and firm the soil.
4. Space plants 40–45 cm apart.
5. Water well straight away and in dry spells during the first summer.
6. A thin layer of compost as mulch is fine, but keep it away from the stems.

Care

Watering

In dry spells in the first year; after that only in long droughts.

Feeding

Sparingly: a little compost in spring. Too much fertiliser makes the stems floppy.

Deadheading

Remove faded flower clusters; it keeps the plant tidy.

Support

The stems sometimes lean over; a low support ring put in place in May helps.

Dividing

Every three to four years in April, when the centre of the clump flowers less.

Tip: Plant it in spring in well-drained soil and only cut it back in March: that way it comes back every year. Wet feet in winter are far more dangerous than frost.

Frikart’s aster: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March.

When: Only in March, when you see the new shoots at the base. Leave everything standing in autumn.

How:

• In March, cut all old stems down to just above the new shoots.
• In summer, cut faded flower clusters back to a side branch.
• Leave the stems over winter: they protect the heart of the plant.

Caution: Do not cut it back in autumn: that makes it more vulnerable to frost and wet winters.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division

In April, as growth starts. Take young pieces from the edge, each with a few shoots and roots, and replant straight away.

Cuttings

In April–May, take 5–8 cm basal cuttings from young shoots and root them in sandy compost under plastic.

Frikart’s aster: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Hardy to about −25 °C, but it dislikes wet soil in winter.
• Leave the old stems until March: they protect the crown.
• A plant put in during autumn or cut back too early is less likely to survive the winter.
• In a pot: keep it sheltered and dry against a wall.

Diseases and pests

• Winter losses: After a wet winter it does not come back. Plant in spring in well-drained soil and only cut back in March.
• Slugs: They eat the young shoots in spring. Pick them off in the evening.
• Flopping: The stems fall open, especially on rich soil or in shade. Feed less, give more sun or use a support ring.
• Powdery mildew: Rare; in long droughts sometimes a little white powder on the leaves. Watering in dry spells helps.

Through the year

• March: Cut old stems down to just above the new shoots.
• April: Plant. Divide. Add compost.
• May: Plant. Take cuttings. Put in a support ring.
• June: Watch for slugs. Water in dry spells.
• July: Flowering begins.
• August: Flowering. Remove faded clusters. Cut flowers for the vase.
• September: Full flower: bees and butterflies.
• October: Last flowers.
• November: Leave the stems standing for winter.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Butterflies

Nectar for butterflies.

Did you know?

• It was raised by the Swiss nurseryman Frikart in Stäfa, on Lake Zurich; some of his varieties are named after the peaks Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau.
• One parent, the Italian aster, grows wild in Europe; the other, Aster thomsonii, comes from the Himalaya.
• The variety ‘Wunder von Stäfa’ bears the name of the village where Frikart had his nursery.