Aster novi-belgii Winston S. Churchill

Aster novi-belgii 'Winston S. Churchill' is a tall, erect perennial that offers numerous double star-shaped flowers from late summer until autumn, in shades of ruby red to deep red. Robust, romantic, and charmingly simple, it is a reliable choice for dressing up your sunny or lightly shaded flower beds at the end of the season, in moist soil.

The New Belgium aster 'Winston S. Churchill' belongs to the large botanical family of Asteraceae, which includes many well-known ornamentals such as daisies, rudbeckias, echinaceas... New Belgium, which gives it its name, is a historic region located on the northeast coast of the United States, also known as New Netherland or New Holland. This aster grows in American meadows but has spread worldwide following its introduction in horticulture in the form of countless varieties of varying heights. It is worth noting that botanists now classify this species in the new genus Symphyotrichum, which includes the New World asters.
Aster novi-belgii produces tall, erect stems bearing numerous star-shaped flowers between August and October (or even November). Each "flower" is actually a cluster of many individual flowers: the golden central ones are "tubular" and fertile. The peripheral "ligulate," ones are sterile and attract pollinating insects. The deciduous foliage, measuring between 5 and 10 cm (2 and 4in), is lanceolate, light green, and smooth (which distinguishes it from the New England aster, another North American species with rough leaves).

The 'Winston S. Churchill' variety, dedicated to the British Prime Minister during World War II, stands out with its upright habit reaching 80 cm (32in) to 1 metre (3 feet) in height, with a minimum diameter of 50 cm (20in) thanks to its rhizomes. In this variety, the double "flowers" are striking ruby to deep red, a rare and precious colour. The centre of the heads is golden, then turns reddish-brown. The feathery seeds are also attractive and maintain a sculptural appearance throughout much of the winter.

The 'Winston S. Churchill' aster is a reliable and hardy plant that appreciates moist, not-too-poor soil. Prolonged periods of drought often lead to the appearance of powdery mildew, a fungal disease characterized by grey or white spots on the leaves. This disease is not really harmful to the plant but it is not very attractive. A sunny location is preferred, or light shade. When exposed to dense shade, the plant becomes weak and flowers less. Also avoid planting this aster in a very windy area, which could cause the stems to bend. Each plant spreads through its rhizomes, eventually forming a beautiful clump. After a few years, it is advisable (and easy) to divide the clump to prevent the centre from hollowing out and a progressive decline. If the plant is happy, it may self-seed here and there.

The 'Winston S. Churchill' aster is an excellent plant for gardeners looking to animate autumn flower beds and will find a place alongside other late-interest plants such as Japanese anemone 'Richard Ahrens' with its pale pink single flowers, Aster divaricatus 'Tradescant' for partial shade, herbaceous clematis Clematis heracleifolia in full sun, and grasses like Chasmanthium latifolium and panic 'Blue Darkness'.