Growing Guide
 
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Aster, Alpine

Herbaceous Perennial Flower

Aster alpinus
Asteraceae Family

At home in the front of the garden border or rock garden, Alpine Aster delights the eye with its daisy-like pastel colored blooms.

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Site Characteristics
Sunlight:
  • full sun

Soil conditions:

  • tolerates droughty soil
  • requires well-drained soil

Hardiness zones:

  • 4 to 7
Possibly hardy in Zone 3.

Special locations:

  • rock gardens
  • xeriscapes
Plant Traits

Lifecycle: perennial

Ease-of-care: easy

Height: 0.25 to 1 feet

Spread: 1 to 1.5 feet

Bloom time:

  • late spring
  • early summer
  • mid-summer

Flower color:

  • blue
  • indigo
  • violet
  • white
  • pink

Depends on variety. Flowers are traditionally medium to dark violet, but newer hybrids have introduced pale purple, pink, and white blooms.

Foliage color:

  • medium green
  • gray-green

Starts out grayish green in spring and becomes medium green by summer.

Foliage texture: medium

Shape: spreading mass

Shape in flower: flower stalks with upright spikes

Flowers borne individually on stems rising above the foliage.

Special Considerations
Special characteristics:
  • non-aggressive
  • non-invasive
  • not native to North America - Native to Europe and Asia.
Growing Information
How to plant:

Propagate by cuttings, division or separation - Take cuttings in summer.

Divide plants about every 3 years in spring.

Maintenance and care:
Remove faded blooms.

Does not like hot, humid weather. May be short-lived where summers are too warm.

More growing information: How to Grow Perennials

Pests:
Rosy blister gall
Aphids
Tarsonemid mites
Nematodes
Slugs and snails

Diseases:
Verticillium wilt
Gray mold
Powdery mildew
Rust
White smut
Aster yellows
Leaf spots
Stem cankers
Varieties
'Beechwood' has pale purple blooms.

'Dark Beauty' ('Dunkle Schone') has deep purple blooms.

'Goliath' has grows up to 15 inches tall and has 3-inch light blue flowers.

'Happy End' has semi-double lavendar flowers and a compact habit.

'Wargrave Variety' has pastel pink blooms flushed with purple.

'White Beauty' has pure white blooms.