Aster novi-belgii Karmin Kuppel

Aster novi-belgii 'Karmin Kuppel' is a brand new variety interesting for the beauty of its flowering and its natural resistance to diseases. On this tall plant, adorned with delicate foliage, hundreds of flowers bloom in late summer and early autumn, their colour perceived as either a nostalgic pink-violet or a vibrant carmine pink depending on the time of day and the light, with both shades sometimes blending together delightfully. This perennial establishes itself in the garden for a long time, to go at the back of a border, in full sun, in ordinary, rather moist soil.

The 'Karmin Kuppel' Aster, still relatively uncommon, belongs like all asters to the large family of Asteraceae. It is a descendant of the New Belgium Aster, recognisable by its smooth leaves (unlike those of the New England Aster which are hairy). From spring onwards it develops into an upright, ramified clump composed of leafy stems. It reaches a height of 1m (3ft) to 1.20m (4ft) when in flower, and spreads over 60cm (24in), with fairly rapid growth. The generous flowering takes place in September-October. The flowers, arranged in heads (capitules), are semi-double. They are composed of several rows of thin, ligulate flowers in shades of pink, surrounding a yellow-orange centre that later takes on a darker hue. These daisy-like inflorescences measure about 5cm (2in) in diameter. Deciduous, the plant completely dries out each winter. The smooth, branching stems bear dense foliage composed of thin, elongated, pointed leaves, a slightly shiny dark green, and relatively resistant to powdery mildew. This plant spreads via underground woody rhizomes, but is not invasive.

Asters are essential in English-style gardens, cottage gardens, or wildflower borders. Undemanding, they blend very well with all other border and bedding plants: grasses, perennial Dahlias, perennial Delphiniums, perpetual daylilies, tall sedums (Autumn Stonecrops), etc. At once cheerful and melancholic, these perennials accompany the return and splendour of autumnal foliage. The 'Karmin Kuppel' Aster is beautifully complemented by the white daisies of 'Snow Flurry' or blue-flowered autumn asters.