Right now, as I used to be strolling by way of the gardens (it’s the first of October as I write this), one among our gardeners advised me there was a flurry of snow in her backyard. To not trigger alarm, though snow has already fallen in some elements of the USA. She was referring to the great, creeping Aster known as ‘Snow Flurry.’ Snow Flurry aster is understood botanically as Aster ericoides ‘Snow Flurry.’
Some taxonomists have rewritten the asters into a number of completely different genera, so this one is now referred to as Symphyotrichum ericoides ‘ Snow Flurry.’ The cultivar identify can also be written as ‘Schneegitter,’ which I assume is German for sneeze getter. Or snow flurry. If I spoke German, perhaps I might know the actual that means.
Utilizing Aster ericoides within the Backyard
Snow Flurry Aster is a implausible, late-season flowering floor cowl.
Aster ericoides is a native plant that reaches a top of 6-8″ in top by 2′ in unfold. It has wonderful leaves barely resembling Erica crops, thus the widespread identify of heath-aster.
This perennial ought to be grown in full solar with well-drained soil. It is extremely tolerant of dry soils.
Snow Flurry is roofed with 1/2″ diameter white flowers in late September and into early October. They’re characterised as ray flowers.
(I appeared up what which means precisely – and that is what the dictionary supplied: “one of many marginal flowers of the pinnacle in a composite plant (such because the aster) that additionally has disk flowers.” )
Don’t ask me to translate that for you – I don’t get it both. (However, a diagram right here would possibly assist make clear – I can’t nonetheless attest to its accuracy.)
Right here is my layman’s description – they’ve skinny little petals that radiate from a yellow heart. The petals are so skinny they will virtually appear as if tufts of white hair.
Additionally – the flowering stem has a number of flowers – so that you get a complete spray of blooms when chopping them for flower preparations, and if left within the backyard, they appear to be mounds of snow).
In masse, Snow Flurry makes fairly a present when in bloom. It flowers within the late summer time/early fall (in my backyard in New England, it’s September into October). It does kinda appear to be snow should you squint onerous whereas taking a look at it by way of the fog with another person’s glasses (not that I’ve ever tried this).
Sustaining Aster ericoides
As soon as Snow Flurry aster is completed flowering, I might take away all of the spent flowers except you need tons of aster seedlings in all places subsequent yr.
We’ve a mass rising on a rocky ledge alongside our Haney Hillside Backyard at Coastal Maine Botanical Backyard. These asters thrive in rocky soils and are recognized for being wonderful in rock gardens. For the subsequent few weeks, it is going to be one of the asked-about crops in our backyard.
If you wish to enhance the collection of crops in your backyard within the fall – these early fall favorites are much better than chrysanthemum asters. They’re hardy to the whole east coast of North America (the place they’re additionally native). As a result of they’re native crops, you will discover they’re the completely happy residence to many pollinators throughout a season when little else is flowering within the backyard.
–Rodney
The place to Purchase Native Fall Asters
Buy Snow Flurry Aster (additionally generally known as White Heath Aster) at North Creek Nursery.
Aster Ericoides (or Symphyotrichum ericoides) additionally is available in a number of different colours –
Search for Symphyotrichum ericoides ‘pink’ and Aster ericoides ‘pink star’ – each, as you’d count on, are pink.
Equally, Symphyotrichum ericoides ‘blue marvel’ is a blueish lavender shade.
Aster ericoides ‘Monte Cassino’ is white, however it’s taller, and it’s a higher cut-flower as a result of its longer stems (as much as 3 toes tall).
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