China aster Princess Mix Seeds

This Callistephus chinensis Princess Mix also called China aster makes it possible to obtain well-branched, compact, semi-dwarf plants in just a few months' time. This variety produces perfectly shaped, double flowers in shades of dark blood-red to scarlet red, copper red, blue, lilac pink, salmon pink, golden yellow to white. They have a very long vase life, making excellent cut flowers. These annuals are easy to grow. Sow in a cold frame or directly, in a spot with good sun exposure, in rich, well-drained soil. 

China Aster, also known as Callistephus chinensis, is a Chinese annual plant of the family Asteraceae that has been cultivated since ancient times and that has produced and still produces, many varieties that are very interesting as bedding plants and as cut flowers. The plants of the Princess variety reach a height of 60 cm in just a few months' time, and are well-branched. Their stems carry oval, serrated, bright green leaves. Flowering takes place from July to September, featuring 6 to 8 cm, fully double floral heads with yellow centres.

The China aster is a first-rate bedding plant. Its flowers make for naïve but unforgettable scenes. A little out of fashion, they are still very decorative when planted in large drifts in flowerbeds since their flowers are perfect for pastoral bouquets, and they bloom for months if you take the time to remove their faded flowers. Sow them directly in the vegetable garden to obtain a profusion of blooms by the end of summer, even if they are just used to make bouquets. Among the wide range of existing varieties, there are some that carry flowers of various shapes that resemble those of Chrysanthemums with their fine, tapered petals arranged into pompoms that sometimes even have a ruffled look about them, or other varieties that present simple flowers like those of the type species. They come in many colours: from white to yellow, including all kinds of intense shades of pink and purple. The dwarf cultivars are perfect for borders and window-boxes, while the bigger, very double-flowered varieties like those in the Princess Mix, are better for livening up the backdrop of your flowerbeds.