Species China aster
Violet-white-maroon-pink flowers with yellow center, green leaves, lime buds and stems.

China aster

Callistephus chinensis

The China aster is an incredible plant species and provides beautiful, long lasting colour in gardens for many months. Its puff-like, daisy-like flowers come in various shades of pink, purple and white and are highly attractive to bees and other pollinators. The leaves are small and feathery, while the stems are long and thin, making them perfect for cutting. Planting China aster in batches or as a border gives an especially good look in the garden. They thrive in full sun and produce blooms from mid-summer to mid-autumn. China aster's long flowering season and attractive blooms make it an amazing plant for any garden!

Cycle:

Annual

Watering:

Average

Propagation:

Seed Propagation,Cutting,Division,Layering Propagation

Hardiness Zone:

2 - 11

Flowers:

Cultivar shades of white to pink, red, blue,violet, purple and yellow Flowers

Sun:

Full sun,part shade

Leaf:

Yes

Growth Rate:

Low

Maintenance:

Low

Care Level:

Medium

watering

China aster plants require regular watering to maintain healthy growth, but be careful not to overwater. They need to be watered every 3 to 5 days, ensuring that the soil is kept evenly moist. During warm months, water about once a week and more often during hot weather, while during cool months water less often. Before watering make sure to check the soil's moisture level to determine if it's necessary. Allow the soil to dry out slightly between waterings, then deeply soak the soil so the water reaches the roots. Be sure to avoid getting the foliage wet during watering to prevent diseases.

sunlight

The China aster (Callistephus chinensis) is a plant species that thrives best in full sun. This means it should ideally receive at least 6 hours of direct sunlight a day. However, this plant can also tolerate some partial shade, so it may still grow healthily with up to 4 hours of direct sunlight a day. This will depend on how much shade the aster is receiving. It is also important to note that the China aster should be in a position to receive even levels of sunlight throughout the day; dark spots within a plant’s canopy can cause it to produce flower buds unevenly. As a result, it is best to keep the aster in a sunny spot that is evenly illuminated.

pruning

China Aster should be pruned just when flowering has finished, and sparingly - only remove spent flowers and overly long stems. Pruning should be done carefully as too much can stunt growth the following year. Deadheading (removing spent flowers) is beneficial as it will encourage further blooms, though too much pruning will shorten their life span. Pruning should be done no later than the start of autumn, as this will give the plant time to harden off before winter.

Season

Fall
Winter
Spring
Summer
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Starts Flowering

Callistephus chinensis typically starts flowering in July.

Hardiness Map