ASTER Zones 3-9 (Michaelmas Daisy)

Aster plants are green bushes all season and then in fall, the handsome green foliage very nearly disappears, smothered by thousands of blooms. Butterflies and other nectar collectors love them. Use asters in the border and as summer hedges. They are quite positively the most spectacular thing about fall. Asters do their best with full sun, ample moisture, and fertile soil. The varieties below bloom Sept.-Oct.

ASAP A. 'Alma Potschke' - Brilliant vivid pink. 3'-4' tall and wide. Bush tends to fall open. We dislike staking, but we do place a short cage over it in spring and train the stems to come up inside it. The smashing color is well worth the extra bit of attention.