Aster alpinus

Aster alpinus, the alpine aster or blue alpine daisy,[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to the mountains of Europe (including the Alps), with a subspecies native to Canada and the United States.[3] This herbaceous perennial has purple, pink, or blue flowers in summer.

Aster alpinus

Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
(unranked):
Angiosperms
(unranked):
Eudicots
(unranked):
Asterids
Order:
Asterales
Family:
Asteraceae
Tribe:
Astereae
Genus:
Aster
Species:
A. alpinus
Binomial name
Aster alpinus
Synonyms[1]
  • Aster alpinus var. dolomiticus (Beck) Onno
  • Aster alpinus subsp. vierhapperi Onno
  • Aster fallax Tamamsch.
  • Aster garibaldii Brügger
  • Aster korshinskyi Tamamsch.
  • Aster serpentimontanus Tamamsch.

Description
A. alpinus attracts an insect to it and it is sucking nectar.

Aster alpinus is a caespitose herbaceous perennial that grows 10-35 cm tall.[4] The bloom color may be blue, indigo, violet, white, or pink.[5] In the UK this plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[6]

Distribution and habitat

It grows very slowly in clay, silt, loam, silty clay, and sandy clay. Its minimum pH scale is 6 and maximum pH scale is 7.5. It grows erectly in a "single crown" form.

It does better in generally cooler climates. Usually it is adapted to clay, silt, loam, silty clay, sandy clay, clay loam, silt loam, sandy loam, silty clay loam and sandy clay loam soils, and prefers low fertility. The plant can tolerate only a minimum temperature of -28 °C / -18.4F after the occurrence of cell damage. It can survive medium heat of fire and requires at least 90 frost free days for proper growth.

Ecology

It is herbaceous and attractive to bees, butterflies, and birds.

Conservation

NatureServe lists variety Aster alpinus var. vierhapperi as Secure Variety (T5) in Canada, but Critically Imperiled (S1) in Ontario and Vulnerable (S3) in Alberta. In the United States, it is Critically Imperiled (S1) in Colorado and Wyoming.[7]

References
  1. "Aster alpinus". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  2. A. alpinus at USDA Plants Profile
  3. "Map: Aster alpinus". www.efloras.org. Retrieved 2020-12-08.
  4. "Aster alpinus in Flora of China @ efloras.org". www.efloras.org. Retrieved 2020-12-08.
  5. "Explore Cornell - Home Gardening - Flower Growing Guides - Growing Guide". www.gardening.cornell.edu. Retrieved 2020-12-08.
  6. "RHS Plant Selector - Aster alpinus". Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  7. NatureServe (10 November 2020). "Aster alpinus var. vierhapperi - Vierhapper's Aster". NatureServe Explorer (explorer.natureserve.org). NatureServe. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
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