Aster Ostrich Plume

An heirloom China aster grown for well over a century, with long narrow petals that curl and twist outward in every direction to make a shaggy, feathered head. It looks like an expensive florist chrysanthemum and is a great deal easier to grow.

The mix runs through shell pink, lavender, deep violet and crimson to white, on stems of 50 to 60cm. It is softer and less formal than the modern peony-flowered strains. Where those give you a tight rounded ball, this gives you something loose and slightly dishevelled, which suits a rustic arrangement far better than a wedding one.

It flowers from August to October, half-hardy and sown fresh each spring, and holds up to a fortnight in a cool room. The usual China aster cautions apply. Being an older open strain rather than a modern F1, the plants are less uniform, so expect some variation in height and flowering date across a row. And aster wilt is the thing that will lose you a crop, so rotate the bed and do not grow them in the same ground two years running.