Aster

Beautiful autumnal flower with international roots

If you want to really cheer yourself up, buy yourself a big bunch of fabulous asters. Combining them with some looser flowers will create a trendy bouquet. The heart of this radiant flower is surrounded by delicate petals that happily keep on looking good for a long time. The plant, which originates from North America, also works very well in your garden border.

Colours and shapes

Lavender or white asters are the most common, but there are also a sweet pink, red, lilac, violet and dark purple varieties. The yellow heart shows off the petals even better: the contrast reinforces the colours. The sturdy stem supports the large textured heart, surrounded by long, narrow petals.

Symbolism

If you want a good retirement or your granny could do with a boost, buy a big bunch of asters, since they bring not only autumn joy but also a happy old age. And although we think the flowers work better in a vase, mythology suggests that you can drive away snakes and devils by burning the petals. 

Origin

The aster originates from Europe, Asia and North America. Initially there were an incredibly large number of species, namely 600. At the end of the last century this number was reduced to 250. The various species are spread across a number of genuses. They are perennial herbaceous plants which are members of the daisy family.