Aster novi-belgii Reitlingstal

Aster novi-belgii 'Reitlingstal' is a perennial plant that blooms between September and October, in a multitude of semi-double lavender-coloured flowers resembling small daisies. Its spreading crown sends up branching stems, adorned with lanceolate, dark green and glossy leaves.

'Reitlingstal' is a tall, easy-to-grow Aster of 100 cm (39in) in height which enlivens the garden in late summer and early autumn, a period when most flowering perennials have disappeared. It thrives in a sunny or slightly shaded position, sheltered from strong winds in rich and moist soil. You can plant it at the back of borders, combined with chrysanthemums and other late-flowering perennials such as echinaceas, helianthus or heucheras which create an excellent contrast of warm colours, or even grasses with fine foliage. These asters are also excellent cut flowers.

Aster novi-belgii, from which this robust and very floriferous variety originates, together with the Aster novae-angliae, make up the majority of large autumn asters. The Aster genus offers a large number of species, represented by a multitude of varieties. They come in all sizes and an extremely diverse range of colours. Each season has several species associated with it, for spring, notably Aster alpinus or Aster tongolensis; for summer, notably Aster amellus or Aster frikartii; for autumn, notably Aster cordifolius, Aster dumosus, Aster ericoides, Aster lateriflorus, Aster novae-angliae, or Aster novi-belgii. They belong to the Asteraceae or Composite family, which mostly comprises herbaceous plants.