native - ONCE UPON A CONEFLOWER

All About Asters

October Skies

April 24, 2023 – Author’s Note: This article has been corrected. It originally misstated a cultivar as Bluebird. I found the original tag still at the base of the plant this spring. It is actually Skyscraper.

Asters are a confusing lot. Many varieties look similar, so it’s easy to mix them up. Also called Michaelmas daisies because they bloom around St. Michaelmas Day (Sept. 29), asters comprise a huge and diverse family. Usually upstaged by their flashier mum companions, asters are frequently passed over. Or they end up as a last-minute addition to the shopping cart. They just don’t get much respect.

That’s a shame, because these beauties are in fact much tougher than they seem. Armed with facts and a bit of luck, they’re relatively easy to grow on in the garden. Let’s start by demystifying them.

Black-Eyed Susans Ignite Summer Days

Who doesn’t adore black-eyed susans (Rudbeckia spp.) for their non-stop flowering and strong constitutions? Most cultivars sport bright shades of yellow and gold but tender varieties come in coral, rust, bicolors and even red. If you’re looking for long-lasting summer color to cheer you up, rudbeckia will do the trick.

Black-eyed (and brown-eyed, and green-eyed) susans are also commonly called coneflowers, a name that can refer to echinacea as well. To avoid confusion I’ll just call it rudbeckia here.

Culver’s Root: An Easy Native for the Summer Border

Culver’s Root (Veronicastrum) Erica on a misty morning

This hard-working, graceful perennial deserves to be better known. Ideal for native and rain gardens, Culver’s Root (Veronicastrum) also does well in average garden soil and full sun in most any setting. It lends a strong vertical accent, doesn’t spread or self-seed, has a long bloom period, and the bees adore it. Best of all it needs almost no care. Easy-peasy!

Starting in June, each 2-foot to 5-foot stem will develop racemes, bud up and begin opening from the bottom up. Fluffy arrow-like pink, white or lavender tufts will billow softly in the breeze atop attractive palmate foliage. This plant doesn’t need staking (when grown in full sun) and it stands up well to storms. Deer may sample it occasionally, but they leave it alone for the most part. Remarkably disease resistant, Culver’s root takes heat and humidity in stride.