This perennial dies back to below ground level each year in autumn, then fresh new growth appears again in spring.

• Position: full sun or partial shade
• Soil: well-cultivated, fertile, moist soil
• Rate of growth: average
• Flowering period: August to October
• Hardiness: fully hardy
  
  A strong growing New York aster that rarely succumbs to mildew, but does produce a dazzling display of bright mauve-pink daisies (which can be near-singles to semi-doubles) in late summer and autumn. The flowers are attractive to bees and the resulting seedheads can attract birds, so this is a gem for wildlife-friendly schemes. It will be equally at home in cottage garden borders, or more naturalistic planting schemes where it will associate well with ornamental grasses.
  
  
• Garden care: Stake with bamboo canes or brushwood in early spring. Water regularly during dry spells and deadhead to prolong flowering. After flowering cut the flowered stems to the ground and apply a generous mulch of well-rotted garden compost or horse manure around the base of the plant. Seedlings rarely come true to the parent plant, but asters are one of the easiest plants to take cuttings from. All you need to do is pull away sideshoots that have already rooted. These can then be potted up individually or planted directly in to the garden. Lift and divide clumps every 2-4 years.