This is a world-famous plant, and a great perennial for American gardens from Zone 6 south.. It is not a North American aster like many of the others. And unlike the American native asters, it doesn't wait until fall to bloom. Aster frikartii or "Frikart's Aster" blooms from early summer to fall, adding great color for a long period. Wonderful lavender/blue flowers are about 2 1/2" across and cover the plant.This is the aster you see at garden centers every year grown much like a chrysanthemum--nice neat rounded plant about a foot tall in full bloom. However, once you put it in the ground, it forms a bushy plant about 2-3 ft. tall, and gives you months of color and cut flowers. It is a spectacular bloomer in gardens all over the south and along the northern Pacific coast.
The story of this plant is interesting. It is a cross between two aster species A. amellus from eastern Europe and A. thomsonii from the Himalayas. The cross was made by Karl Frikart in Switzerland around 1920. Ever since, various versions of this fantastic success have been created and named. The cultivar "Monch" is the most famous, but another similar one, "Wonder of Staffa" is also well-known. A more recent one is called "Flora's Delight." They're all Frickart's aster, and they're all beautiful.
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Botanical Name
: Aster frikartii
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Common Name
: Aster, Frickart's
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Color
: Lavender-blue daisylike flowers with a yellow center
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Spread/Width
: 24-36" wide
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Bloom Time
: Early summer to fall
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Soil Preferences
: Needs well drained soil
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Advantages
: Mildew and disease resistant
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