Easy, Pretty Tatarian Aster

Asters adorn the fall garden with clouds of blue blooms that show to advantage against yellow goldenrod, orange pumpkins, and the warm shades of autumn leaves. The Asteraceae family was one of the largest until those pesky taxonomists got involved. With their penchant for genetic accuracy, they reclassified North American asters into Symphyotrichum, Eurybia, and a number of smaller classes. For an exhaustive (mind-numbing) discussion of Aster’s new family tree, consult the University of Waterloo’s research report by clicking HERE.

Today’s feature plant, Tatarian Aster, was formerly Aster tataricus and is now Crinitaria tatarica (pronounced krin-ih-TAIR-ee-ah tah-tair-IH-ka). Tatarian Aster is a perennial wildflower with soft lavender-blue, star-shaped flowers held in flat-topped groups. The flowers have 7-20 petals each, arranged around a yellow center. Bees, moths, and butterflies love them. They provide a nectar meal for migrating Monarch butterflies.

Tatarian Asters grow in zones 3-9, in any soil type and almost any pH, and require full sun exposure. Plants are resistant to heat and humidity. They may gain heights of up to six feet, but rarely need to be staked unless they are grown in very fertile soil with plentiful moisture. Unless you enjoy staking, take a Tough Love approach to growing this perennial. Plants grown in rich soils with plentiful moisture can spread aggressively.

The height of Tatarian Aster means it is a good back-of-the-border feature. It is especially pretty when grown along the sunny edges of woodlands, paired with Miscanthus, Muhlenbergia, or other grasses. Deadheading spent blooms will lead to a lengthy flowering season, from late summer all the way to freezing temperatures. In winter, cut the dead foliage back to ground level.

Better Behaved Abelia

Modern Abelia cultivars are a vast improvement over the version that was common in every garden several decades ago. Those evergreen or semi-evergreen shrubs grew to heights of six feet or more and threw unruly sprouts that reached for the sky, creating an unkempt appearance. There was a pair of them planted either side of the rear entrance of a local church. Their whippy tentacles waved around like something from The Little Shop of Horrors. You could almost hear them whisper, “Repent!” But I digress.

Glossy Abelia of yesteryear (Linnaea x grandiflora, pronounced LIN-ay-ee-uh gran-duh-FLOR-uh, formerly known as Abelia x grandiflora) was appreciated for its tolerance to heat, drought, humidity, and poor soil. New growth was a bronzy pink, and honeybees swarmed over their nectar-rich tubular pink and white blooms. Unfortunately, to keep them in check, homeowners regularly pruned their arching stems into ugly, tight meatballs.

Current Abelia cultivars have two advantages over the older generations. First, many are available in mature sizes of four feet or less, making them ideal for foundation plantings. ‘Edward Goucher,’ ‘Rose Creek,’ and ‘Little Richard’ are all dwarfs, reaching heights of 36 inches or less. Second, there is a entire rainbow of foliage colors available. ‘Kaleidoscope’ has multicolored foliage with yellow leaves in spring and orange-red in fall. ‘Sunrise’ has green, yellow and white variegated foliage. ‘Confetti’ has pink, green and white foliage (a real stunner, in my opinion).

Abelia is hardy in zones 5-9. It prefers well-drained soil, acidic to neutral, and will accept some drought once established. The bell-shaped pink, rose, white, or lavender flowers attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Flowers open over several weeks in summer, but may appear sporadically at any time. Shrubs are rarely bothered by deer and resist damage from pollution, drought, or salt.

In upstate South Carolina, this ‘Kaleidoscope’ Abelia has scattered blooms on the last day of November . The foliage is yellow, green, orange, and pink.

Same shrub as above. From a distance, the color reads as green and salmon.

Abelia ‘Rose Creek’
Image by Jan Haerer from Pixabay 

Golden Creeping Jenny for Groundcover or Containers

A good groundcover is like the piece of lettuce under a serving of chicken salad on a luncheon plate. It makes the star of the meal look better without drawing attention to itself. Groundcover plants do not receive as much attention as shrubs, annuals, or perennials. They just do their job, providing an under-dressing to feature plants while spreading to cover bare soil, reducing erosion, and shading out weeds. One that defies tradition and draws attention to itself is Lysmachia nummularia ‘Aurea,’ widely known as Creeping Jenny. 

Creeping Jenny will grow in sun, part shade or even mostly shade. Its bright chartreuse hue makes its neighbors look better by contrast. Leaf color will be more golden in areas with bright sun and more lime green in areas with mostly shade. It will spread vigorously, and is considered invasive in some states. If this concerns you, plant it where it is restrained by walkways or metal edging. The vines grow almost flat (three inches or less) and form roots wherever stems touch soil. This rooting habit means they can bounce back from occasional damage from foot traffic or pets (like the black kitten in the accompanying photograph). It will drape over walls like a chartreuse curtain. Plants rarely grow upward more than an inch or two, so there is no concern about it creeping up trees. If the plant grows outside its intended area, the fine stems are easily pruned with a pair of utility scissors.

Lysmachia nummularia ‘Aurea’ (lis-uh-MAK-ee-ah num-ew-LAH-ree-uh, but internet sources offer multiple suggested pronunciations) tolerates heat and humidity. It looks best when grown in rich soil with moderate moisture. It will grow slower in lean soils and with less moisture. The vine-like mat is perennial in zones 3 through 8. Winter cold may make some of the leaves shed or take on a reddish hue, but it recovers quickly with the return of warm weather.

Creeping Jenny can be used in containers, either as a single specimen in a hanging basket or in a mixed planting, where it will cascade over the rim of the planter. It looks especially nice at the edges of water features and makes a good partner to upright sedges and ferns. If you choose to pair this one with a variegated plant, choose a companion whose variegation color is in the yellow family (as opposed to white or ivory). It complements most flower colors (pinks, reds, oranges, purple) but does not play well with yellow flowers. Creeping Jenny rarely blooms. Its small, golden flowers are easy to miss against its foliage.