Aster tataricus Jindai

Aster tataricus Jindai, or Tartarian Aster, is a perennial herbaceous plant native to China and Siberia, which blooms between September and November, forming an upright clump of small clusters of pale blueish-pink flower heads with prominent golden yellow hearts. Its long sturdy stems are adorned with large bright green ovate leaves that rarely require staking.

Aster tataricus Jindai is a tall, easy-to-grow Aster reaching 1.20m (4ft) in height, bringing life to the garden in late summer and early autumn when most flowering perennials have faded away. 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, paired with chrysanthemums and other late-flowering perennials such as echinaceas, sunflowers or heucheras that provide an excellent contrast of warm colours, or grasses with delicate foliage. These asters also make excellent cut flowers.

Asters belong to the asteraceae or composite family, which predominantly includes herbaceous plants. The genus Aster offers a wide range of species, represented by a multitude of floriferous varieties. There are asters of all sizes, in an extremely diverse range of colours. Several species are associated with each season, including Spring Asters such as Aster alpinus or Aster tongolensis; Summer Asters such as Aster amellus or Aster frikartii; and Autumn Asters such as Aster cordifolius, Aster dumosus, Aster ericoides, Aster lateriflorus, Aster novae-angliae, or Aster novi-belgii.