‘Blue Star’ Japanese aster sports light blue flowers throughout the summer.
© Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp
Don’t you love it when you find a new plant to try?
That’s how I felt when I found the perennial ‘Blue Star’ Japanese aster (Kalimeris incisa) sitting and blooming by itself on a garden center table a couple of years ago, late in the season. Of course, I bought and planted it.
Last weekend, I found another ‘Blue Star’ Kalimeris sitting alone on a garden center bench. Yes, I bought it and plopped it right next to a ‘Blue Star’ that I planted two years.
Aster is a good description for the 1-inch wide flower with pale blue petals and yellow center. But unlike the sprawling, late-blooming asters (Symphyotrichum) we’re familiar with, this one stays upright and blooms pretty much all summer.
The Missouri Botanical Garden says this is a ‘tried and trouble-free’ plant in its landscapes, and I can second that opinion.
Grow ‘Blue Star’ in full sun or part shade. The leaves are thick, making it more tolerant of drought. This plant does fine in well-drained clay soil and Indiana’s hot, muggy summers. ‘Blue Star’ gets up to 18 inches tall, spreading to form a nice clump 18 inches wide. It blooms from June into September. (Plant native asters, too, for monarchs and other critters looking for nourishment late in the season.)
Rose troubles continue
If your roses weren’t killed by snow-mageddon, they may be under attack from rose slugs, aphids and spider mites.
Spider mites make yellowish or orange dots on the leaves. The veins of the leaves are green, but the tissue in between is chlorotic – pale green or yellow. Rose slugs munch holes in the leaves and sometimes completely defoliate the plant. Roses will likely releaf once the insect is brought under control. Aphids, too, suck on plants, causing malformed buds, leaves or stems.
The best defense can be found at the end of the hose. A strong spray of water can knock of many aphids, mites and other insects, reducing or eliminating the need for insecticides or miticides. Other controls include:
- Snip off any damaged buds or leaves.
- Remove spent blooms to reduce hiding places for thrips, which are commonly called rose slugs. Removing spent blooms also reduces the hiding places for Japanese beetles. These beetles prefer plants in the rose family, which includes fruit trees and many ornamental trees and shrubs.
- Neem oil, summer horticultural oil and spinosad are environmentally friendly products that control for insects. Always read and follow the label directions.