Aster radula August Sky

Aster radula 'August Sky' is a robust and floriferous perennial, which blooms between July and August with a multitude of small violet flowers resembling small daisies. The colour of the flower petals blends wonderfully with the golden yellow of the hearts. It is a beautiful and delightful summer flowering for gardeners who normally only see Asters appear in the autumn.

'August Sky' is a 60 cm (24in) tall summer Aster that offers many advantages in addition to its attractive flowers. It is robust and sturdy with short stems allowing for good strength. It can be planted in a sunny or slightly shaded location and thrives in all types of soil including dry and limestone. You can plant it in the middle of a bed or in a rock garden, in front of a Miscanthus or a Yarrow for example, or alongside a Kniphofia or Aster linosyris, a summer aster with yellow flowers. In the foreground, you can also plant annuals with warm colours. These asters are also excellent cut flowers.

Asters belong to the family of Asteraceae or Composites, which mostly includes herbaceous plants. It is a genus that offers a large number of species, represented by a multitude of varieties. There are asters of all sizes, in an extremely diverse range of colours. You will find some that flower in all seasons, in spring, Aster alpinus or Aster tongolensis; in summer, Aster amellus or Aster frikartii; in autumn, Aster cordifolius, Aster dumosus, Aster ericoides, Aster lateriflorus, Aster novae-angliae, or Aster novi-belgii.