Aster dumosus Professor Anton Kippenberg

Aster dumosus 'Professor Anton Kippenberg' is a robust perennial. Between August and October, it transforms into a cushion of small flowers with a purplish-blue colour illuminated by a golden yellow heart, reminiscent of daisies. Its slightly trailing stump produces branched stems, adorned with lanceolate, dark green and glossy leaves. It has a compact and sturdy habit, reaching a height of 35 to 40cm (14 to 16in), ideal for replacing summer perennials, in pots or borders.

Asters belong to the Asteraceae family (formerly Compositae), which mainly consists of herbaceous plants. Aster dumosus 'Professor Anton Kippenberg' is a dwarf hybrid derived from A. dumosus, or New York Aster, native to the eastern half of the United States, from Texas to Florida, Maine, and Wisconsin. This 40cm (16in) aster animates the garden at the end of summer and early autumn, covering its foliage with small purplish-blue heads with yellow centres. The robust, dark green foliage is deciduous and composed of linear leaves. It is sometimes susceptible to powdery mildew.

Aster dumosus 'Professor Anton Kippenberg' thrives in sunny or slightly shaded positions in all rich and moist soils, even slightly dry. It is perfect for creating charming autumn scenes. Easy to grow, its 40cm (16in) habit allows for creating colourful patches, combined with golden or coppery grasses, tall sedums spectabile, and decorative heucheras. Its cousins, the chrysanthemums with brightly coloured heads, pink, purple, orange, or white, will give a richer appearance to the border. Aster dumosus 'Professor Anton Kippenberg' is also perfect in rockeries, borders, or containers to brighten up the surroundings of your house, even in front of your windows. They also attract butterflies.

The genus offers many species, represented by a multitude of floriferous varieties. They come in all sizes, with an extremely rich range of colours. Each season, there are several species to choose from, including Aster alpinus or A. tongolensis for spring asters, A. amellus or A. frikartii for summer asters, and A. cordifolius, A. dumosus, A. ericoides, A. lateriflorus, A. novae-angliae, or A. novi-belgii for autumn asters.