(White Wood Aster)

Selected from a coastal Rhode Island population of white wood aster, 'Eastern Star' is distinguished by its dark-hued, relatively compact stems. The parent species is a colonizing perennial common to dry, open wooded areas across much of eastern North America. Delicate in appearance but easy to grow, it is valued for its clouds of small, white daisies produced at summer’s end.

The wiry, branched, upright to lax stems of white wood aster arise from wandering underground rhizomes. The stems of...

(Heath Aster)

Heath aster is a tough, drought-tolerant perennial native to much of central and eastern North America. Named for its finely textured, needle-like foliage, it is valued in gardens for its airy, late-season display of small, white, occasionally pale pink or light blue daisies and is popular for use as a long-lasting filler for bouquets. Several cultivars exist, including ‘Pink Star’, which forms mounds of pale lavender-pink flowers, and ‘Snow Flurry’, an exceptionally low-growing form with drifts...

(Blue Star Aster, Heath Aster)

A form of the North American native heath aster, ‘Blue Star’ produces a generous display of small but profuse, pale-blue daisies on arching, open, many-branched stems lined with short, narrow, needle-like leaves. The dainty, yellow-eyed blooms color the garden from late summer to autumn, and are highly attractive to butterflies and other small, pollinating insects.

This tough, drought-tolerant perennial grows easily in full sun and adaptable to a range of well-drained soils. If allowed, it...

(Heath Aster, Sungal Heath Aster)

A form of the North American native heath aster, ‘Pink Cloud’ produces a generous display of small but profuse, pale-pink daisies on arching, open, many-branched stems lined with short, narrow, needle-like leaves. The dainty, yellow-eyed blooms appear from late summer to autumn, and are highly attractive to butterflies and other small, pollinating insects.

This tough, drought-tolerant perennial grows easily in full sun and adaptable to a range of well-drained soils. If allowed, it may self-sow...

(Prostrate Heath Aster)

Heath aster is a tough, drought-tolerant perennial native to much of central and eastern North America. Its well-branched stems are densely lined with fine textured, deep green, needle-like foliage. Heath asters sold under the name prostratus typically have trailing, ground-hugging stems. Drifts of small, bright white daisies with yellow centers cover the plants in autumn, and are highly attractive to butterflies and other small pollinating insects. Plants are self-sterile, but may produce...

(Prostrate Heath Aster)

This ground-hugging, fine-leaved perennial covers itself with small, snowy "daisies" in late summer and early fall. It is a cultivar of heath aster, a tough, drought-tolerant perennial native to much of central and eastern North America.

The well-branched, prostrate stems of 'Snowdrift' are densely lined with fine textured, deep green, needle-like foliage. Drifts of petite, bright white, daisy-like blossoms with yellow centers cover the plants in autumn, and are highly attractive to butterflies...

(Prostrate Heath Aster, Snow Flurry Heath Aster)

Aster ‘Snow Flurry’ is a prostrate form of heath aster, a tough, drought-tolerant perennial native to North America. It forms a very low-growing, spreading mat of short, narrow, needle-like foliage which is carpeted with many small, white, yellow-centered daisies from early to mid-autumn. Its dainty blooms are highly attractive to bees and butterflies, and add a breath of freshness to the garden following the tired, faded tones of late summer.

This distinctive perennial thrives in full sun...

(Asteriscus, Gold Coin Mediterranean Beach Daisy, Mediterranean Beach Daisy)

This is an ideal dry-climate perennial. The parent species, Mediterranean Beach Daisy, is native to coastal bluffs of North Africa and the arid eastern Mediterranean where there is little rainfall but the maritime influence keeps the air moist. This makes ‘Gold Coin’ particularly suitable for water conservation in dry coastal regions. This low, spreading perennial produces dense clumps of gray-green leaves that are slightly fuzzy.

Through the midsummer when little is in bloom, ‘Gold Coin’ flowers...

(Astilbe, False Spirea)

Astilbe is a genus of approximately 18 species native to the moist wooded areas of Asia and North America. These beautiful perennials grow from thick rhizomes (lateral underground stems) and form solid clumps of attractive compound leaves.

The ferny leaves have brownish stems which may or may not be hairy. They are compound and their leaflets are lance-shaped, oval or elliptical with coarsely toothed edges. A few odd species have simple leaves that are slightly lobed.

The primary...

(Amerika Astilbe, Astilbe, False Spirea)

Mid-sized and free-flowering, astilbe ‘Amerika’ 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, coral-pink flowers clothe the spikes, transforming them into soft, billowing plumes that wave in the breeze. One plant may produce several stems, making a cloud of bloom high above...