Alpine Aster grows well for those who pay attention.

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Alpine Aster

Aster alpinus

Zones 5–7

Growing

This hardy perennial thrives in rocky, well-drained soils, making it an excellent choice for rock gardens or containers where you can mimic its natural mountain habitat. Because it prefers cooler climates, you will find it most successful in regions that experience a chill. When establishing new plants, you can start them from seed or by using division to expand your collection.

As a clump-forming plant, the Alpine Aster stays neatly in place and does not spread aggressively through your garden beds. This makes it easy to manage around other perennials without worrying about it overtaking your landscape. To keep the plant looking its best, ensure you provide regular watering and maintain a soil pH between 6.0 and 7.5.

The blooms appear as solitary, upright flowers in shades of blue, violet, pink, or white. These blossoms are highly effective at attracting pollinators to your garden. While the plant is quite resilient and can survive a hard freeze, keeping the area around the base free of weeds will help maintain its health and vigor.

Stats
Sunfull sun
Watermedium
Grow time—
Height<1ft
Spacing6–12in
Light
Full sun✓
Part shade✓
Shade✗
Traits
Life cycleperennial
Categorywildflower
Growth habitupright
Seasoncool
Frost tolerancehardy
Heightunder 1ft
Spacing6–12in
Days to bloomover 150
Native us✓
Growing
Watermedium
Drainagewell drained
Soil ph min6.0
Soil ph max7.5
Propagation
Seed✓
Cutting✗
Division✓
Graft✗
Tuber bulb crown✗
Transplant✓
Container ok✓
Spreadclump
Deer resistant✓
Drought tolerant✓
Pollinator friendly✓
Toxic to
People—
Pets—
Livestock—
Bloom
Length2–6wk
Colors
White✓
Yellow✗
Orange✗
Red✗
Pink✓
Purple✓
Blue✓
Green✗
Fragrant✗
Reblooms✗
Deadhead✗
Cut flower✗
Dried flower✗
Invasive
Statusnone
Regions
Northeast✗
Southeast✗
Midwest✗
Plains✗
Southwest✗
Mountain west✗
Pacific northwest✗
California✗
Hawaii✗
State noxious✗
Escapes cultivation✗
Calendar, zone 7
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Sownoyesyesyesnononononononono
Harvest————————————