China Aster

Plant Characteristics

Cultivation

Scientific Names

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Read about China Aster in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

China Aster, (Callistephus hortensis). One of the most popular of all garden annuals, being particularly valuable for its fall blooming. The evolution of the China aster suggests that of the chrysanthemum at almost every point, and it is, therefore, a history of remarkable variations. The plant is native to China. It was introduced into Europe about 1731 by R. P. d'Incarville, a Jesuit missionary in China, for whom the genus Incarvillea of the Bignonia family was named. At that time it was a single flower; that is, the rays or ligulate florets were of only two to four rows. These rays were blue, violet or white. The center of the flower (or head) was comprised of very numerous tubular, yellowish florets. Philip Miller, the famous gardener-botanist of Chelsea, England, received seeds of the single white and red asters in 1731, evidently from France; and he received the single blue in 1736. In 1752 he secured seeds of the double red and blue, and in 1753 of the double white. At that time there appears to have been no dwarf forms, for Miller says that the plants grew 18 inches or 2 feet high. Martyn, in 1807, says that, in addition to these varieties mentioned by Miller, there had then appeared a "variegated blue and white' variety. The species was well known to American gardeners at the opening of the last century. In 1806 M'Mahon. of Philadelphia, mentioned the "China aster (in sorts) as one of the desirable garden annuals. Bridgeman, a New York seedsman, offered the China and German asters in 1837 "in numerous and splendid varieties," specifying varieties "alba, rubra, cerulea striata purpurea, etc." In 1845, Eley said that "China and German asters" "are very numerous" in New England. This name German aster records the fact that the first great advances in the garden evolution of the plant were made in Germany, and the seed then used came largely from that country. The first marked departure from the type appears to have been the prolongation or great development of the central florets of the head, and the production of the "quilled" flower. This type of aster was very popular fifty and sixty years ago. Breck, in the first edition of his "Flower Garden, 1851, speaks of the great improvement of the aster "within a few years" "by the German florists, and others," and adds that "the full-quilled varieties are the most highly esteemed, having a hemispherical shape, either a pure white, clear blue, purple, rose, or deep red; or beautifully mottled, striped, or edged with those colors, or having a red or blue center." About sixty years ago the habit of the plant had begun to vary considerably, and the progenitors of our modern dwarf races began to attract attention. The quilled, high- centered flower of a generation or more ago is too stiff to satisfy the tastes of these later days, and the many flat- rayed, loose and fluffy races are now most in demand, and their popularity is usually greater the nearer they approach the form of the uncombed chrysanthemums. The China aster has long since varied into a wide range of colors of the cyanic series—shades of blue, red, pink and purple. The modern evolution of the plant is in the direction of habit and form of flower. There are various well-marked races or types, each of which has its full and independent range of colors. The Comet type (with very flat rays), now one of the most deserving of the China asters, illustrates these statements admirably. This Comet form—the loose, open flower with long, strap-like rays-appeared on the market about 1886 or 1887, with a flower of a dull white overlaid with pink. The pink tended to fade out after the flower opened, leaving the color an unwashed white. The rose - colored Comet next appeared, and the blue was introduced in 1890. The first clear white was introduced in America in 1892, coming from Vilmorin, of Paris. The Branching types marked a departure. The introduction of the "New White Branching" by James Vick's Sons, in 1893, gave the main impetus to the commercial development of the aster in America. It is probable that more than one-half of all the asters now grown in the United States are of the various Branching varieties. The named garden forms of China aster are several hundred. As early as 1895, American seedsmen offered 250 varieties. Some of the forms are shown in Figs. 424-A27. For botanical account of the China aster, see Callistephus. It is impossible to construct a satisfactory classification of the China asters. It is no longer practicable to classify the varieties by color. Neither is it feasible to classify them upon habit or stature of plant, for several of the best marked types run into both tall and dwarf forms. Vilmorin, however, divides the varieties into two main groups, the pyramidal growers, and the non-pyramidal growers. The most elaborate classification is that proposed by Barren, from a study of extensive tests made at Chiswick, England. Barren has 17 sections, but they are not coordinate, and they are really little more than an enumeration of the various types or classes. After considerable study of the varieties in the field and herbarium, the following scheme seems to be serviceable: A grower's classification (Arnold) would be approximately as follows: Upright.—All the branches erect; plants compact: e. g., Victoria, Truffaut, Giant Comet. Semi-upright.—Branches few; strong; ascending from base: e. g., "non-lateral" type of Branching. Branching.—Strong pyramidal habit. Original type much branched. Spreading.—More open and spreading form than Branching: e. g., Queen of the Market, Early Wonder and Early Hohenzollern. For growing in borders, one of the best types is the Comet (Fig. 424), in various colors. Other excellent races are the Branching (Vick's Branching is shown in Fig. 425); Truffaut, known also as Perfection and Peony- flowered; Chrysanthemum-flowered; Washington; Victoria, Mignon, and Queen of the Market. The last is commended for earliness and graceful, open habit, and it is one of the best for cut-flowers. Many other types are valuable for special purposes. The Crown or Cocardeau is odd and attractive. Amongst the quilled asters, the various strains of German Quilled (Fig. 426), Victoria Needle (Fig. 427), and Lilliput are excellent. The very dwarf tufted asters are well represented in Dwarf Bouquet or Dwarf German, and Shakespeare. All these are easily grown in any good garden soil. For early bloom, seeds may be started under glass; but good fall bloom may be had, even in the North, by sowing seeds in the open as late as the 1st of June. Asters make very showy bedding plants when grown in large masses, and are also valuable for filling up vacancies in the mixed herbaceous border, where they ought to be planted in clumps, the dwarfer kinds put in front and the taller behind. The colors of asters are not so strong or heavy as to introduce violent contrasts, and for this reason, as well as because of their simple requirements, they are useful and popular. The China aster is now grown largely for cut-flowers, rather than merely for garden decoration. Commercially, it is the most important of the cut-flowers that are grown out-of-doors. In the garden of the amateur, it divides honors with the sweet pea. The commercial value of aster seed sold by American seedsmen exceeds that of any other flower. In addition to the large amount of aster seed grown in southern California, New York now produces annually twenty hundredweight of seed, mostly in varieties used by the commercial florist. The principal reasons for the popularity of the aster with florists, aside from its range of useful colors, are its excellent keeping qualities as a cut-flower, its ability to stand rough handling in shipping, and the ease with which it may be grown. The past ten years have been marked by a decided increase in the use of the artistic Comet type of flower. Many asters of American origin, adapted to American market conditions, have been widely disseminated. "Non- lateral" strains of Branching asters, devoid of side buds, have been produced to meet a need of the florists, and as a result of careful seed-growing, the semi-double aster has nearly disappeared from field and garden. The frequent accidental crossing and re- crossing of widely differing types and a natural tendency toward variation are constantly furnishing material for improvement when asters are grown in quantity and variety. Recent introductions of types of asters show increased size and vigor of plant commonly attributed to a more or less remote Branching cross. Some of the most valuable introductions, like the Rochester and the Crego Pink, appear to be a combination of a Branching plant and a Comet flower. The Comet aster group has not taken the place, commercially, to which its great beauty would entitle it, because its very long slender petals make it less lasting as a cut-flower than flowers with broader, shorter petals. The slender stems usually correlated with this type of flower, although attractive in cut-flowers, are undesirable in the field. Beautiful single asters have been introduced from Europe, but so far have made little headway against the American prejudice in favor of double flowers. Classes of asters. The typical Branching aster is pyramidal in form, large and vigorous, with many lateral branches. It blooms at the close of the season. The abundant leaves are broad and large. The flower is large and deep with the long, rather broad petals irregularly arranged, giving it a soft appearance. The flowers bear well the rough handling incident to ordinary shipping, and if cut before fully mature will last for two weeks. The size and vigor of plant enable the amateur to get fair results with indifferent culture. Modifications of the original type may now be had with flowers having petals variously folded, incurved or whorled and with plants varying to upright in growth and entirely devoid of the many branches that gave the type its name. The Comet flower is characterized by having petals that are long and narrow and strongly recurved. This gives it a charming light feathery appearance. Originally it was of medium size and bloomed in midseason on upright plants. Comet flowers may now be had on every sort of aster plant. The season includes the earliest and the latest, and the largest aster flowers now grown are of the Comet type. Queen of the Market was the first of the distinctively early varieties and is still the most largely grown. The plants are open and spreading and the flowers, while smaller and flatter than those of the Branching, have the same general character. Victoria and Truffaut (or Paeony-flowered Perfection) were for many years the standard varieties and are still grown to some extent. The plants are upright and bloom in midseason. The petals of the Victoria aster are reflexed at the ends; those of the Truffaut aster strongly incurve, making a ball-shaped flower. Both varieties comprise every shade of color known in asters, and these are duplicated in Giant and Dwarf classes. Cultivation. Asters thrive in any soil that can be kept in a good mechanical condition. The large late asters are usually the most satisfactory to the amateur. They may easily be grown from seed sown as early as possible in the open ground. Asters transplant readily. If the plants are started in boxes in the house, the soil should be allowed to dry off on the surface as much as possible between waterings to prevent damping off. Midseason varieties may be grown successfully in this way; but the very earliest varieties need to be started in a greenhouse or an early hotbed. For market, the extra-early kinds should be sown eight to ten weeks before the soil will permit planting out. They should be kept growing thriftily with a night temperature of about 50° and afterward be thoroughly hardened off in coldframes so that they will not be injured by late frosts after planting out. The soil should be quite as rich as that used for profitable crops of onions or celery; otherwise the flowers will be too short-stemmed. Midseason varieties for market succeed well when started in a mild hotbed. Give plenty of air and avoid overwatering. The last sowing of late varieties is made in the open ground. When growing in large quantities, the seed is sown with a garden drill in rows a foot apart. A transplanting machine, drawn by horses, is used for setting the plants in the field. The most destructive diseases in the commercial cultivation of asters are various forms of stem-rot. They are of fungous origin and arc induced by allowing the plants to remain moist too long at a time. The infection usually takes place in the seed-row, but often no effect is noticed until the plants are nearly full- grown, when they suddenly wilt and die. Covering the soil in the seed-boxes with clean sand, which can be kept dry between waterings, is an effective aid in the prevention of damping-off and stem-rot. The "yellow disease" causes the plants to have a bleached appearance and to make a spindling growth. It is a derangement of the functions of plant-growth caused, so far as known, by irregularity in the moisture-supply. Thorough cultivation of the soil is the best preventive. The presence of "orange rust" is shown by conspicuous orange-colored pustules on the under side of the leaves. The disease can be held in check by thorough spraying with a fungicide. The Pennsylvania blister beetle is so destructive to asters south of the latitude of New York that it is now commonly known as "the aster beetle." It is a large, soft-bodied, black beetle. It feeds on the flower. Spraying with an arsenical poison will control the beetles in the field. Frequent hand-picking can be practised in the garden. The season of this insect is short. The "tarnished plant-bug" causes extensive damage to asters, most of which is commonly attributed to other causes. The inconspicuous yellowish brown insect, smaller than a house-fly, easily escapes notice. The terminal buds that are punctured by the bug, usually die. Frequently the branch becomes diseased and sometimes the entire plant is dwarfed and sickened. The insects cannot be poisoned, but kerosene emulsion and whale-oil soap are effectual deterrents. Asters growing in partial shade are seldom injured by plant- bugs. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

External links

• w:China Aster. Some of the material on this page may be from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons license.
• China Aster QR Code (Size 50, 100, 200, 500)