Vivid, lipstick-pink daisy-like flowers with yellow centres erupt from late summer to mid-autumn. The petals are tightly packed, making the flowers more showy than many asters and therefore it's an excellent choice for adding a vibrant splash of colour at the end of the season. This feisty cultivar also shows a good resistance to mildew, which surely must place it near the very top of the must-have list.
How to care for Symphyotrichum novae-angliae Andenken an Alma Pötschke:
Stake with bamboo canes or brushwood in early spring. Water regularly during dry spells and deadhead to prolong flowering. After flowering cut the flowered stems to the ground and apply a generous mulch of well-rotted garden compost or horse manure around the base of the plant.
Eventual height:
1.2m
Eventual spread:
0.9m
Position:
Full sun / light shade
Rate of growth:
Fast-growing
Soil:
Moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil, or peat-free general purpose compost
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This perennial dies back to below ground level each year in autumn, then fresh new growth appears again in spring.