Aster amellus Grunder

Aster amellus 'Gründer' is a tall, floriferous variety with bright violet flower heads with yellow hearts at the end of summer, bridging the gap between summer blooms and autumn colours. This easy-to-grow perennial thrives in the sun and is covered in flowers. This aster tolerates poor and limestone soil, as long as it stays moist.

Aster amellus is a hardy perennial native to Eastern Europe and Turkey, belonging to the Asteraceae family. This perennial has an upright, unbranched, bushy habit from spring. It reaches 70 cm (28in) high in bloom and spreads to 45 cm (18in) fairly quickly. The green basal leaves are slightly downy and lanceolate. Along the stem, the leaves are sessile (without a petiole) and pointed. This plant spreads through underground woody rhizomes. The 'Grunder' variety flowers abundantly, with bright violet flowers that contrast with the orange-yellow centre, adding a touch of sun to the end of summer. These are very beautiful flowers for cutting.

It is impossible to imagine our gardens without asters in our beds or borders. They are low-maintenance and pair well with all kinds of perennials like sage, Crocosmia, and chrysanthemums. Aster flowers accompany the transition into autumn and the beautiful autumn foliage. Blue asters go wonderfully with smoke bushes and euonymus with fiery-coloured leaves. Consider putting them in your containers as well.