Aster lateriflorus Coombe Fishacre

Aster lateriflorus 'Coombe Fishacre' is a charming autumn-flowering perennial. It is robust, very easy to grow, and practically never sick. Between August and October it blooms in a multitude of pink flower heads with purple hearts that resemble small daisies.

The variety 'Coombe Fishacre' is a large aster, 80 to 100 cm (32 to 40in) tall that brings life to the garden when most flowering perennials have disappeared. Its elongated leaves with smooth margins end in a point, with foliage of a beautiful dark green. The green stems have purplish hues. Highly resistant to diseases and frost, this aster adapts to any type of soil, as long as it does not experience stagnant moisture in winter.

It thrives in a sunny or lightly shaded spot, sheltered from strong winds, in a rich and moist soil. 

Plant in the back of borders, paired with chrysanthemums and other late-flowering perennials such as echinaceas, helianthuses or heucheras that create an excellent contrast of warm colours, or grasses with fine foliage. The dark green foliage contrasts beautifully with the broader, waxy leaves of bergenias, which take on a beautiful bronze hue in autumn. These asters also make excellent cut flowers.

Asters belong to the family of Asteraceae or Compositae, which mostly includes herbaceous plants. The genus Aster offers a large number of species, represented by a multitude of floriferous varieties. There are asters of all sizes, in an extremely rich range of colours. There are species for each season, including Aster alpinus or Aster tongolensis in spring; summer asters such as Aster amellus or Aster frikartii; and Aster cordifolius, Aster dumosus, Aster ericoides, Aster lateriflorus, Aster novae-angliae, or Aster novi-belgii in the autumn.