Aster lateriflorus var. horizontalis 'Lady in Black' - HORIZONTAL CALICO ASTER 'LADY IN BLACK'

Virtually unknown nativar in USA, underused, but this is excellent fall aster - one of the 7 best winning asters in Chicago Botanic Garden trials and also recipient of Award of Garden Merit  by RHS (Royal Horticultural Society in UK).

The reason for such a great evaluation is : great and reliable performance in gardens, rather compact shape and acceptable dimensions (not too big, not too small), great vigor, excellent health, nice leaf color in first half of the season and we can't forget it's ecological value - this nativar attracts many pollinators (native bees, honey bees, flies, wasps, butterflies) and drought tolerance.

The look is "cloudy" (clouds of small flowers), upright with weeping small branches, it doesn't need staking (unless it's planted in very rich amended soils). This aster stays in clump, that is very slowly getting wider in time.

It is also very adaptable, does well in sun and half-shade, in an soil with average moisture to average-dry (the soil doesn't have to be amended). Grows in any soil - clay, sandy, rocky soils, tolerant to some salt in soil too.

Usually grows to 3' of heigh x 2-3' of width, the main stems are upright, darker and branch horizontally and small branches are nicely arching down. Leaves are dark red-brown, but the color is most significant in first half of the growing season, with summer heats turns greenish-red.

Flower are tiny, whitish with plum-purple centers, less than half inch in diameter, but cover the whole entire plant. Blooms in September/October.

Hardy in zones 3 to 8. Deer resistant (but wild forms are sometimes browsed by the deer and rabbits, so some browsing may occur too).

Black walnut resistant perennial.

Wild species of Calico Aster - Aster lateriflorus var. horizontalis - is native wildflower to the most of the eastern states of USA (see the USDA distribution map), while its sister Aster lateriflorus covers larger area in the USA (see the USDA map) and both have excellent wildlife support (they are also host plants for Pearl Crescent and Checkerspot Butterflies). 'Lady in Black' is not far from the wild forms and provides similar benefits.

As with any other aster, this one can self-seed, so if you want to avoid seedlings, cut the plant back when its nearly finished with blooming.

Other scientific name is Symphyotrichum lateriflorum var. horizonale 'Lady in Black'.

For flower beds, pollinator gardens, naturalistic landscaping, prairie gardens, woodland edges gardens.

Good companions are perennials or grasses with more rough structure like Echinacea, Rudbeckia, Liatris or Panicum virgatum. Easy to grow and forgiving plant that should be used lot more.

Picture copyright : First picture - Andrey Zharkikh, Flickr, second picture - US Perennials nursery

Pot size : square 3.5" x 5" deep pot