Aster amellus Sonora

Aster amellus 'Sonora' is a beautiful aster which adapts to mediocre and limestone soils, even occasionally dry ones. This variety offers an abundant blue-violet or deep lavender flowering with a yellow heart, from the middle of summer until the first frost. It easily bridges the gap between summer blooms and autumn colours. This easy-to-grow perennial spreads through underground rhizomes without ever becoming invasive. It should be planted in sunny borders to maintain its particularly elegant habit.

Aster amellus belongs to the Asteraceae family and originates from Eastern Europe and Turkey, where it grows in hill and mountainous areas, in warm and dry locations, in meadows, in clearings, at the forest edge, on slopes, and along paths. This herbaceous perennial has become rare in the wild. It shows an upright clump habit from spring onwards. It will reach a height of 60 to 70cm (24 to 28in) when in flower, and will spread over 50cm (20in) or more, with a fairly rapid growth rate. The basal leaves are slightly pubescent, lanceolate, and green in colour. Along the stem, the leaves are sessile (without petioles) and acute. This plant spreads through underground woody rhizomes. The 'Sonora' variety has an abundant flowering that lasts from July to October or November, ending only with the first frost. The flower heads display a bright and intense purple-blue colour; the heart, on the other hand, is yellow, bringing a sunny touch to this particularly radiant flowering. This variety offers very beautiful cut flowers.

It is impossible to imagine our gardens without asters. They go well with all kinds of perennials. 'Sonora' would blend beautifully with yellow (goldenrods, marigolds) or orange blossoms, or you can decide to integrate them into a range of colours from white to mauve to blue. Also consider low-growing grasses that will accompany the asters until the end of autumn. Its modest size allows you to incorporate it into the composition of your flower pots.