Aster frikartii Jungfrau

Aster frikartii 'Jungfrau' is a beautiful variety of Frikart's aster whose name translates from German as 'young girl'. Coquettish and fresh, this perennial with a rather compact habit offers long-lasting and bright blue-mauve flowers with golden hearts, from mid-summer to autumn. Frikart's asters are very easy to grow in the sun, in well-drained soil, including soil which contains limestone or is fairly dry in summer. These excellent border plants require very little maintenance, apart from some pruning in early spring.

The Aster x frikartii, made famous by the well-known variety 'Mönch', is a horticultural hybrid that was created in the Frikart nursery in Switzerland in the 1920s. It is the result of cross-breeding the Aster amellus, a botanical species found in Europe, and A. thomsonii, native to the western Himalayas. It is a perennial plant with a bushy habit, hardy and drought resistant, which prefers alkaline soil and full sun. This cross-breeding has given rise to numerous cultivars that are all excellent garden plants.

Aster frikartii 'Jungfrau' has a fairly compact habit, forming a tuft of leafy stems that will quickly reach about 60 cm (24in) in height and 30-40 cm (12-16in) in width at the base, depending on the growing conditions. The stems bear medium green leaves, oval in shape, roughly dentate on the margin. Flowering generally begins in August and lasts for several weeks, sometimes until October depending on the region. At the tips of the stems appear generous clusters of inflorescences in capitules, what we might call flower heads. Each head, measuring 3 to 4 cm (1 to 2in) in diameter, is composed of a collar of fine ligulate florets surrounding a bright yellow centre. The colour of the florets gradually changes from blue to blue-mauve and then to violet, while the yellow centre turns bronze. The flowers are much visited by bees. The stems of this aster are relatively flexible, but they generally do not require staking in moderately fertile and not too moist soil. The above-ground vegetation of this perennial dries up in winter and regrows from the stump in spring.

Perfect in country-inspired, romantic or natural style borders, this Jungfrau aster thrives in soils that are less favourable to the large opulent New England or New Belgium asters, which require more water and nutrients. It also has the advantage of being less susceptible to powdery mildew and adapting more easily to most European regions. It pairs beautifully with medium-sized grasses, shrubby salvias or herbaceous plants, or with nepetas and agastaches. Aster flowers are perfect for bouquets, so consider pairing them with white or pink dahlias, for instance.