Aster amellus King George

Aster amellus 'King George' is one of the best varieties of summer aster, awarded by the RHS for its ornamental qualities and performance in the garden. Its sturdy stems require no staking. It produces a bright blue-mauve, early, abundant and prolonged flowering, starting from the second half of summer. This undemanding aster tolerates poor and chalky soil, as long as it remains moist. It enhances and enlivens borders during a period of the year that can be lacking in colour, bridging the gap between summer blooms and autumn hues.

Aster amellus belongs to the Asteraceae family. This plant originates from Eastern Europe and Turkey, where it grows in hillside and mountainous areas, in warm and dry locations, in meadows, in clearings, on forest edges, on slopes, and along paths. 

Aster amellus 'King George' is one of its many cultivars. This perennial shows an upright clump habit, with little branching, starting from spring. It reaches a height of 60cm (24in) when flowering, and spreads 45 to 50cm (18 to 20in), with a fairly rapid growth rate. Flowering begins in August, depending on the region, and continues until the end of September. The inflorescence is a head, with peripheral ligulate flowers of a bright mauve-blue colour. The central flowers (the heart) are yellow-orange. The heads measure about 5cm (2in) in diameter and are grouped in short corymbs, numbering 2 to 6. This aster is a deciduous perennial with slightly hairy stems, whose above-ground vegetation dries up and dies in late autumn. The basal leaves are slightly pubescent, rough on both sides, usually entire, oblong, lanceolate, and medium green. The cauline leaves are sessile, meaning they have no petiole and are directly attached to the stem, and acute. This plant spreads laterally through underground woody rhizomes, without becoming invasive.

It is impossible to imagine our gardens without asters. The undemanding Aster amellus 'King George' pairs very well with all other border and bed plants, such as perennial salvias or shrub salvias, gauras, catmints, or agastaches, for example. Both cheerful and melancholic, these perennials accompany the return of autumn and the splendour of its foliage. Try combining pink and blue asters with Cotinus 'Grace', purple Physocarpus, or dwarf winged euonymus: the colour combination is astonishing. These plants are also excellent for cutting.