Aromatic Aster - A Complete Profile
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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
- A complete native plant profile on Aromatic Aster, a herbaceous perennial that blooms extremely late in the year. It should answer just about all you need to know about this flower from germinating seed, to bloom, to how to landscape with this flower in mulched flower beds or meadows. This is a long video, but see the digital table of contents below. The helpful links mentioned within the video are below the TOC.
01:22 - What is Aromatic Aster
01:57 - Native Range
02:07 - Pros (Benefits)
04:13 - Cons
05:23 - Identification
06:59 - Growing Conditions
07:26 - How to grow from seed
09:03 - Direct sowing
10:10 - How to save seed
10:50 - Where to purchase
11:44 - Pollinators / wildlife
12:07 - Deer & rabbits
12:29 - Landscaping
14:17 - Companion plants
14:38 - Review
To purchase seed (affiliate link): amzn.to/40vlyZj
Helpful videos and links:
Aromatic Aster plant profile -
growitbuildit....
Where to buy Native Plants in United States:
growitbuildit....
Winter Sowing:
growitbuildit....
Joe, your native plant videos are top-notch! Thanks for another great profile.
Thank you Connie - I appreciate it.
I'm new to the idea of a native garden and I found this very interesting. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
I'm glad you enjoyed it John - this is one of those natives that should be in almost every yard!
Not now babe. The new grow it build it profile just dropped.
Now this is an awesome comment! LOL
Just started with gardening in our backyard. I am based and TX and the last2 years was crazy hot and we are in drought. I started researching about drought tolerant, native plants. That is when I found your channel. I have cone flower, coreopsis, bee balm , milkweed and now this germinating because I found it all in your channel. Made it easier to look for plants that I need and even followed your germinating instructions. Keep up the good work and thank you.
That is awesome - I am very happy to have helped you out. I'm cure you have very difficult conditions in Texas, so always best to grow plants that can tolerate those conditions, and hence - native.
I really try to pay attention to plants growing in the wild - specifically the growing conditions and soil (if I'm able). This helps give you a better understanding of what a plant can tolerate than the bland reference material that just says 'well-drained'.
Great stuff as always. I love this plant as well as the white Aster and have watched them spread naturally over the past 2 years as I’ve let much of my prior lawn grow wild. I’ve never seen a density of bees as I’ve seen on these flowers over the past couple months, it’s very rewarding to see. And another wildlife benefit that I’ve observed is that birds will eat the seeds on the plant thru the winter, so I avoid cutting them down.
Thank you for the kind words! You reminded me that I need to film my 'test strip' a bit more. This time of year it is packed with song birds in the morning just eating seed left and right.
I am in Missouri Zone 6 with Clay soil. I have had Aromatic Aster or decades in raised gardens with the soil amended decades ago. I have 2 clumps that are 3 feet tall and 4 feet across. They bloom as you said, starting in September and lasting thru October, and into mid-November. I keep them from flopping by placing a ring of 18" tall green plastic coated 3" square wire fencing around them. Almost every spring, I split off one or two clumps and give them away to people who ask about them.
That is cool you use the wire to keep them up. I had thought about that, but try to avoid staking or cages whenever I can. But these are awesome flowers.
Great profile Joe!
Thank you!
This is extremely helpful as I used these seeds as my wedding favor this past May. I have so many left over and I just moved to new house with a beautiful yard and I'm trying to figure out what to plant over the next year. Thank you!
I'm glad I could help you out then! And that is a cool idea giving away those seeds as a wedding favor.
I started new england, smooth blue , and aromatic aster this spring.
They all grow fast and flower the first year from seed.
Really easy and big pay off.
Thanks for the smooth blue aster video two years ago .
My thinking was , smooth blue aster are early fall, new england aster are later fall and aromatic aster are long blooming . And it worked out well
Thanks again
(Correction )smooth blue aster, not sky blue aster
You are very welcome Barney - and I'm glad you have been having success with all of those Asters! I've got about 5 more species that I grow, but this one, Smooth Blue, and New England are all really great for residential landscaping. Silky Aster is a pretty nice one too, if you have room for one more.
I noticed some Aster growing in a yard on the eay yo my daughters school and like it. I need dome color in my yard, it looks rough this time of year. Was thinking of maybe planting it and some perennial sunflowers if i can find a spot. Just killed all the grass in my front yard, need to do some planning 🙂
Awesome - Asters are an excellent choice. Having some Penstemon and some kind of Echinacea can help keep color all season.
We just bought a house with minimal grass in a higher elevation. Since we are now on a well and septic I think I'm going to start planting wildflowers instead of grass too. Thanks for sharing.
I bought three ‘Raydon’s Favorite’ asters this fall and the blooms are still hanging in there on November 11 (Knoxville TN). I’m glad you also mentioned Tennessee coneflower. It’s a terrific plant although pretty rare, and interestingly the blooms always face east.
Ok - now I have never noticed the 'East' facing part. But it is true.
Another very informative video. I really appreciate all of your in depth videos and website articles on native plants. I know if you've covered it, it's the only source I need. Thank you!
Thank you so MUCH! Please tell your friends!
Beautiful meadow.
Thank you - the insect activity in there is amazing.
Great video, in zone 6b, SE, PA. Can you prune the Aromatic Aster, like you do a mum? A more compact plant would appeal to me.
Hi - yes, you should be able to give it the Chelsea Chop like other Asters. It will reduce the overall size. But, know that it still may flop. I've had them get 'pruned' naturally by deer, and they still tipped over.
Yes. Cut back l/3 to l/2 in mid summer for bushier, more attractive plant.
Love my aromatic asters. I have some cultuvars and also straight species.
This is probably my favorite of all the Asters. It just always finds a way to look good, and blooms so late.
Thank you for all the wonderful information you share!
You are very welcome! I'm happy you enjoy it.
hey guys what would happen if someone used the sea cucumber DNA and the millipede DNA to fill the gaps of every farm animals genomes
Your neighbor definitely owes you some honey. His European honeybees have likely eaten from your plants all season long and might have competed with native insects. Hopefully you can convince your neighbor to grow some native Asters and Goldenrods, so his honeybees will have more late season options.
They do pretty good with flowers from about June-Aug. But they don't have much before or after. They have lots of Echinacea and Coreopsis, so plenty of blooms....when it is in bloom.
I’m pretty sure I planted this species but when I crush the leaves, it doesn’t smell like anything, but it has the same type of blooms
There are a lot of Aster species. Could be several!
Thanks for all the info! Mine is still “new” - growing larger but it hasn’t bloomed yet. I’m hoping to keep it in a container to prevent spreading. 💜🐝🦋
You are welcome! It is just about the last plant to bloom, so you never know, you might get a few blooms this year!
Thanks. I suggest that in mid summer, asters are cut back by l/3 to l/2, which I think makes them bushier and more attractive. I think they look great with late-blooming goldenrod. Both are considered keystone natives and provide late season pollen and nectar.
Yes, that is a great suggestion
Any chance you’ll be showcasing Lillium philadelphicum or Lillium michiganese? They’re equally beautiful in my opinion
Not anytime soon. I finally was able to germinate L. philadelphium last year, and transplanted them in October. So hopefully they bloom this year. If that is the case, I will probably give them a second year in the ground before making a video, as I like to get to really know a plant beforehand.
Wonderful video, thanks mate.
Thank you!
So happy I have found your channel. I started a pollinator garden this spring. I really appreciate your format & especially appreciate you showing what seedlings look like when they emerge.
Thank you for the kind words! I really appreciate it. Good luck on your new garden.
Hello Joe, I love your videos! Being in zone 5, this plant does not grow in Canada. I envy the plant diversity you have in the US, you guys are so lucky! Keep your country beautify, protect your native species. God Bless you
Thank you Dominque - we will do our best to protect our ecosystems. God bless you too!
Have you ever had any native plants show up on their own? My property has all of the following: Common Violet, Black eyed Susan, Wild Onion, Pokeweed, Ostrich Fern, Wild Basil, Honewort, Yarrow, Black Raspberry, Elderberry, Goldenrod, Purple Coneflower, and something that I forgot the name of in a shady spot in my lawn.
Yes I have. Off the top of my head I've had Wild Violet, Late Boneset, Frost Aster, Pokeweed, Yarrow, and several types of Goldenrod.
I'm living in S.Korea in east asia, you see. We have various autumn flowers including asters. That's one of my favorites. I ued to love chrysanthemum most, indulged in their bright yellow shiny colors, but I was crazy about asters too. All kinds of asters are capturing my attention with their strong vitality in winter. They are tough and tolerant cold weather. All of them are wild flowers here so just a few of us would want to plant them in their garden. I wish to have my own garden someday, and green house as well. And I would love to plant them in my garden and also in the green house so that I can see their flowers all season long. Also, I guess we need to have honey bees hives inside the green house to pollinate flowers. Do you think it will be possible to make them bloom all season long in the green house, if we care them meticulously well?
Hello - It sounds like you have some good goals. I know that most people in South Korea live in apartments, but there are some larger homes too. I hope you are able to have this some day.
In regards to keeping an Aster blooming all year, I do not think it would be possible. Cold hardy perennials spend the growing season 'building' up to their blooms, and then will go dormant in Winter. This happens to all perennials. And I am not aware of any annual plants that look like Asters.
But you could try to get a variety of Asters that bloom at different times. For instance, Smooth Blue Aster is about the first to bloom in August, then you could have New England Aster, Short's Aster, Heart Leaf Aster, Silky Aster, and finally Aromatic Aster, which is the last. This could provide 3 months of Aster flowers blooming.
I have this plant here in SC. It has spread itself everywhere! I don’t mind, and the pollinators don’t mind. I’ll just pull what I don’t want.
They bloom just as the echinacea and the black eyed Susans are finishing up.
These are awesome flowers - I completely agree. In the wild areas they don't do as well since they can be out-competed by taller flowers and grasses. But in beds they can definitely be aggressive. I have them pop up occasionally in other places.
I've been trying to figure out if my plants' seeds have been successfully pollinated, or if perhaps there wasn't any suitable pollen available and my plant is self-sterile. I have no shortage of pollinators. However, for some plants, I only have one of that species and I'm surrounded by people with conventional lawns. Would you be able to cover how to tell if a seed has a chance of germinating? For example, what color and thickness might indicate that the seed is likely viable? This would also help me figure out if I'm collecting the seed too early. I don't collect until after things looked dried out or floffy (like the example in your video). I collect seed to share with others. Thanks!
Hi - I can give you a pretty good answer actually. In regards to flowers, almost all of them can self-pollinate. What I mean is that each flower will have both male and female parts, so when bees go around hitting all the flowers, they transfer pollen to the female parts. Where this doesn't occur is on woody shrubs and many trees. See my video on Spicebush for examples.
In regards to if they are ready for harvest, I strongly suggest you have a good look at this article. It gives many examples of seed heads and when they are ready. In general, if the head turns brown/dry, it is ready. Also, if birds begin to eat it, it is ready. But I have a decent amount of info and pictures here - growitbuildit.com/how-to-save-and-store-flower-seeds/
And finally, if you have specific species you are curious about and can't find them on my website, just ask. I have lots of other species I have never made a video or article for.
I love your videos. They are so well done and informative. I’m dying to know what the plant is that I see in the background of your flowers. It looks like a legume of some kind. Fern looking. It’s so pretty growing in with your other flowers. Thank you for your wonderful help!
Thank you so much for the kind words! Glad you are enjoying my videos.
There are two species I have that could be considered to have fern-like leaves, and both grow near these Asters. One would be Partridge Pea, which I have a video on - ua-cam.com/video/-Is8rLfvsKs/v-deo.html
The other would be the Lead Plant, which I only have one specimen, but it grows adjacent to the primary plant I showed in this video. I have no video or even article on the Lead Plant though!
Sheesh, the videos are so impressive and extremely soothing. Planted a native aster out front (suburbs of Philly zone 7) two years ago in autumn. It’s definitely native and it smells magnificent to me! It planted with golden rods and every October I laugh at the mums on everyone’s front yards because I know that when they are in the trash next week my asters will be pimpin’! Also, so many bees show up that I can hear them buzzing from so far away. As an aside, I laugh abt their pumpkins too because I know that I’ll be collecting in a short while for free fertility in my garden beds and compost bins.
Thank you! That is hilarious because it is true about that Asters, and the pumpkins.
I live in Ontario and a lot of the native plants you showcase are also native here. This one isn't but I find it so fascinating because it makes sense that you would have a later blooming aster for the Monarchs to visit as they make their way south to Mexico. Our September bloomers are so important for them before they go on their journey.
I'm sure there's a million other co-evolutionary benefits but I thought of that and how cool!
The more I observe, the more I learn and appreciate all the symbiotic interactions. I love going to public hunting lands and state parks just to observe what is blooming, insects, etc. It all just begins to make sense (for the most part).
Also - a month after I made this video I discovered an Aster still blooming in November zone 5 (I'm on the border of 6/7). I gathered some seeds.....I'm sure the fact that it was blooming was somewhat influenced by local climate and light conditions (fairly shady area), but still - to be blooming that late was impressive.
Just ordered it from Breck's, I could probably get seeds but the white ones I already have from them bloom in the first year planting
Nice! Awesome flowers.
You didn't mention cutting the water back to prevent sprawling, I'm guessing that doesn't work for the aster like it does for some coreopsis?
Hi - that can work for this plant too. Actually any Aster. But this one is just a bit unique since it actually looks good when sprawled.
Will this plant grow in northeast Baltimore City, MD 21214?
Hi Cecilia - yes, absolutely.
Thank you for this video. answered every question i had.
You are very welcome - glad you found it helpful
I may have to get some of these. I found some for 75% off. Thanks for all the good tips and information.
75% off? Yes - that sounds like a good deal. I would definitely get them.
Great video! I love asters and I make sure I place them where I don't mind them sprawling. Great late season color.
Thank you! I thought it was cool that if I gave it it's own space & sun from all directions, it seemed to look good even with the sprawl.
What about cutting it back? How and when? Lots of good info, thank you!
You can cut it back in Winter to avoid self-seeding, or leave it up until Spring for birds to eat some seed. If when you cut it back you leave 6" of the stalk standing, bees will sometimes nest in it that following growing season.
Do the seeds require cold stratification??
Officially these shouldn't require stratification. I've always winter sowed them though. But I know there are plenty other Aster species that do not require cold stratification.
Thank you for this information
You are very welcome - good luck
I’m hooked on this aster. ❤ asters
This is probably my favorite of all the Asters
Third week of November and I still have Heart-Leafed, Shorts, and yes...Aromatic Asters blooming here in northeast (5b) Wisconsin...all natives 💚
I've thinned my asters to allow my other natives ample opportunity to prosper as well.
As a regular winter-sower, I like the idea of a grease pencil for labeling. No worries of UV fading. I have Sharpie'd the name on the duct tape. But I've also written it on the milk jug cap and tucked that inside along the edge as insurance. This has saved me many times.
That is awesome! My Heart-leafed Asters bloom much earlier - late August to early September. That is a good idea for the milk-jug cap. The grease pencil does work best though. And it can wipe off for reuse, although I usually just cross off and write the next species the following year.
Here in north Georgia 7a-b, there's an Aster for every situation. There's some difference between them but they easily provide 12 weeks of bloom between them. Some do fine in part shade and stay bushy if cut back early in the summer. No matter how rough they may look come fall, they're just humming with bees. The true landscape mums, dendranthema, have bigger blooms, spread slower and do fine with little care. I use the toughest Asters to fill in areas I can't afford plants for yet. Best volunteers you could want!
Fully agree Katie! I grow about 5-6 species of Aster as of now. And they start blooming in early August, and I still get a few blooms into November. And they are the best volunteers.
Why are these soo good
They are just about my favorite of all Aster flowers. Showy, blooms a long time, low maintenance, and they bring in all the pollinators.
Been looking for this aster forever, thanks and enjoyed your video very much.
You are very welcome - it's a great addition to any flower bed/yard.
Always love your videos - I saw some of these in a neighbor's garden and would love to get some of my own!
Thank you - you will love this flower!
Thanks!
Thank you Laura - I truly appreciate it. Thank you
I have one, it's beautiful.
Fully agree Sheliah!