Description
I’ve been growing Tatarian aster (Aster tataricus) in my Pennsylvania garden for decades, and it flowers so late in the season (through October) that it often doesn’t have time to set viable seeds before freezing weather arrives. For the last few years, though, I’ve been able to find some actual seeds among all of the duds. It takes a lot of time to pick them out of all the fluff, so I have to charge more than I’d like for them, and honestly, you’d get much faster results by purchasing a plant or getting a piece from a friend’s patch. But if that’s not an option for you, or if you’re interested in experimenting with the seeds, these may be of interest to you.
If you don’t already know Tatarian aster, it’s a beauty for the autumn garden, with clusters of relatively large, purple, daisy-form flowers in mid- to late fall atop stems that can reach 4 to 6 feet tall. The initial clump will spread outward in any direction it can and is vigorous enough to crowd out most perennial companions, so I don’t recommend it for an ordinary perennial border. It can combine well with deciduous shrubs and with large ornamental grasses, though, such as switch grasses (Panicum). Or, consider giving it a place by itself where it can spread to form a large patch and create an autumn spectacle. It seems to be a favorite with butterflies, by the way. My plants are always visited by dozens of monarchs a day as they migrate through this area in mid-fall.
2022-collected seeds are sold out. I hope to collect again in November 2023. At least 10 seeds. Shipping to US addresses only.
Please read the germination information as well before ordering.
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