Aster 'Wood's Purple'

Aster 'Wood's Purple': Short, Purple and Full of Itself

Purple to blue-violet daisies with bright yellow eyes, packed onto a compact, bushy clump. 'Wood's Purple' is short but carries itself like the headliner. SMALL STAGE. FULL VOLUME.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Symphyotrichum 'Wood's Purple' (sold as Aster dumosus)
• Common Name: Dwarf Aster, Michaelmas Daisy
• Height: 30–40 cm (12–16 in)
• Spread: 40–50 cm (16–20 in)
• Flowers: Purple to blue-violet daisies with bright yellow centres, produced in large numbers
• Bloom Time: Late summer to fall (August to October)
• Foliage: Narrow, lance-shaped green leaves on a compact, bushy clump. Generally resistant to powdery mildew.
• Features: Compact habit

Where to Plant: Use it for edging, in rock gardens, along the front of a sunny bed, or in fall pots. Its compact habit keeps it tidy up front.

Companion Plants: Edge a sunny or part-shade bed with 'Wood's Purple' and give it bold red and cream partners. Geum 'Blazing Sunset' adds double scarlet flowers at 55 to 60 cm from May to July. Paeonia 'Bowl of Cream' opens big cream double peonies at 80 to 90 cm in May and June. Hemerocallis 'Entrapment' brings lavender-purple daylilies at 60 to 70 cm in July and August. Calamagrostis 'Avalanche' stands behind at 90 to 120 cm with white-centred blades.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun or part sun in average, well-drained soil that stays evenly moist. It handles clay, loam or sand. Water during the first season and in dry spells after that. Give each plant some breathing room for good air flow. Pinch the stems back by a third once or twice before early summer if you want an extra-full mound. Cut back to the ground in late fall or early spring. Divide every three years or so in spring to keep it vigorous and flowering well.

History: The Wood's asters are credited to Portland, Oregon nurseryman Edsel (Ed) Wood and were introduced by Lynn Caton. Asters take their name from the Greek word for star, a good fit for these little daisies.

Final Thoughts: Plant it at the front of the border so it can see the audience. Bees and butterflies pack the front row. THE OPENING ACT THAT CLOSES THE SEASON.