A great performer for late summer, looking fresh when everything else looks past it. Its pale mauvey-blue daisy-shaped flowers fit effortlessly in traditional mixed borders as well as in big sways in a more prairie approach. Although able to cope with dry spells, it likes some moisture. Can become invasive in the right conditions.

H x S: 0.7m x 0.7m

Aspect and soil: Best in moderately fertile, well-drained soil in full sun.

Use: in traditional borders or in prairie planting schemes, alongside other late-summer perennials such as Echinacea, Rudbeckia, Geranium ‘Anne Folkard’, and with grasses.

Care: Deadhead regularly to encourage new blooms and leave the spent flower heads on in the autumn, and only cut them back if looking unsightly, in late autumn or early spring. Mulch in early spring with garden compost.

Wildlife: Bee-, butterfly- and insect-friendly.

Hazard: —

Origin: Garden origin; a cross between A. amellus and A. thomsonii. This has kept the name Aster while others are now Symphyotrichium.

Hardiness: H7