(Aster, Dragon Hardy Aster)

This lovely aster displays numerous soft, lilac-blue daisies atop tidy, compact mounds of fine, deep green foliage. A patented hybrid, it was introduced by Yoder Brothers, Inc. and is marketed under the name ‘Dragon’. The cool blossoms decorate the garden from very late summer to early fall, and are highly attractive to bees and butterflies.

Provide this perennial with full to part sun and moderately moist, fertile, well-drained soil. Pinch back stem tips in late spring or early summer to...

(Aster, Magic Aster)

Loads of rich purple flowers, compact size and uniform growth combine to make ‘Yomagic’ a stellar perennial for late-season color in containers and borders. Marketed under the name Magic™, this Yoder Brothers, Inc. introduction resulted from a cross between Aster ‘Sunny Almog’ and an unknown cultivar. Its vivid, yellow-centered daisies are borne on low, spreading, well-branched plants in very early autumn, and are highly attractive to bees and butterflies.

Provide Magic™ with full...

(Aster, Puff Aster)

Drifts of this fresh, snowy-white aster will breathe new life into the garden following the long, hot months of summer. Marketed under the name ‘Puff’, this patented hybrid was introduced by Yoder Brothers, Inc. and is notable for its abundant, long-lasting flowers, deep green foliage, and compact, uniform habit. The bright, yellow-centered daisies are borne profusely on low, well-branched, spreading plants in very early autumn, and are highly attractive to bees and butterflies.

Provide this...

(New York Aster, Snow Pillow New York Aster)

New York aster ‘Snow Cushion’ freshens the garden with a profusion of frothy white, single daisies on rounded, compact plants from late summer into autumn. The yellow-centered flowers are complemented by bright green, lance-shaped foliage, and are highly attractive to butterflies and other small, pollinating insects. The seeds that follow provide a source of food for seed-eating birds such as goldfinches.

Although quite adaptable, this perennial performs best in full sun and moderately fertile,...

(Michaelmas Daisy, New York Aster, White Swan New York Aster)

New York aster ‘White Swan’ adds elegance to the garden with numerous, shimmering white daisies touched with tints of palest lilac-pink. The pastel-hued flowers are complemented by bright green, lance-shaped foliage, and are highly attractive to butterflies and other small, pollinating insects. The seeds that follow provide a source of food for seed-eating birds such as goldfinches.

Although quite adaptable, this perennial performs best in full sun and moderately fertile, well-drained, evenly...

(Astilbe, Avalanche False Spirea, False Spirea)

Astilbe is a stunning herbaceous perennial with fuzzy plumes that appear in summer on slender stems, following the emergence of frondlike leaves that unfurl in spring. The cultivar 'Avalanche' produces large long blooming plumes of white from early to late summer. Dried flower-heads retain garden interest through winter.

Plants prefer a partial shade location in moist, fertile, well-drained soil. This hybrid however, will tolerate dryer and sunnier locales. Plant in groups in shady, light...

(Astilbe, ColorFlash™ False Spirea, False Spirea)

Brighten up any dull shade garden with the season-long vivid lime green foliage color of ColorFlash™ Lime false spirea. Hybridized in Europe and introduced by Anthony Tesselaar International, this reliable perennial is unique because it offers a double whammy of colorful foliage and flowers.

In late spring through early summer plants put forth tall, upright plumes of fluffy pink flowers. Happy specimens may produce five to nine stalks per plant when only a year old. Like many hybrid Astilbe,...

(Astilbe, Bressingham Beauty False Spirea, False Spirea)

The fine cultivar 'Bressingham Beauty' is a vigorous false spirea that produces bold plume-like pink flowers in late spring to midsummer. Asian in origin, it is a hardy clump-forming herbaceous perennial that is quite easy to grow given the correct growing conditions. It is a relatively tall selection with green and bronze compound leaves that contrast nicely with the tall pink plumes.

False spirea will tolerate full sun to partial shade and must be grown in evenly moist, well-drained soil. Its...

(Astilbe, Bumalda False Spirea, False Spirea)

Mid-sized and free-flowering, astilbe ‘Bumalda’ is an herbaceous perennial grown for its tolerance of shade, dependable bloom, plush spikes of flowers, and dark, dense ferny foliage. The spikes grow at the top of slender upright stems and have a branching habit that looks a bit like a Christmas tree. Tiny, closely packed, creamy-white flowers clothe the spikes, transforming them into billowing plumes that wave in the breeze. One plant may produce several stems, making a cloud of bloom high above...

(Astilbe, Cattleya False Spirea, False Spirea)

Astilbe is a stunning herbaceous perennial with fuzzy plumes that appear in summer on slender stems, following the emergence of frondlike leaves that unfurl in spring. The cultivar 'Cattleya' produces large, plumes of rose-pink in midsummer and likely again in early fall. Dried flower-heads retain garden interest through winter.

Astilbes prefer a partial shade location and fertile, well-drained soil. If the chosen garden area's soil is dry, reloacte to more shade. Plant in groups in shady,...