Let’s face it, November is not a month best noted for flowers. The spectacular fall colors of various trees and shrubs abound, but for the pollinators, there are scant few flowers left to visit. Even most of our native plants have succumbed to the autumn frosts. However, over the past few years, I have noticed one plant that has sustained both blooms and pollinators well into November – Aster tataricus, commonly known as the Tatarian Aster.

Aster tataricus is native to the cold regions of Siberia, Northern China, Mongolia, Korea and Japan, where it is native to moist meadows and wetlands. It is a member of the Asteraceae or Sunflower family, which contains close to 32,000 species. Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) first penned the genus name in 1753 from the Greek Astēr for star, referring to the star-like form of the flowers. Linnaeus established Aster amellus, the European Michaelmas Daisy as the type flower to which all the other plants for this genus are referenced. Initially home to an enormous number of species, the genus was reduced to around 180 species found throughout Eurasia, based on more recent and improved understanding of the genetics. Carolus Linnaeus the Younger (1741-1783), continuing in his father’s footsteps, published this species in 1781 in his book Supplementum Plantarum. The species epithet tataricus comes from Tartay, an archaic name for the geographic region that extended from the Caspian Sea and Ural Mountains east to the Pacific Ocean, including the areas to which this plant is native.

Aster tataricus is a robust plant, to say the least. The coarse, paddle-like shape of the foliage always reminding me of Horseradish with the basal green leaves reaching 16-24” long and up to 6” wide (pictured above). The plants are rhizomatous in nature and can spread over a fairly substantial area of the garden, providing a rather pleasing yet coarse groundcover. In late August to mid-September, the flowering stems elongate, reaching an impressive height of 5-8’ before blooming! The stems are hispid or clothed with straight bristly hairs along with more modestly sized leaves of 3-4” in length and 1” wide. The top of the flower stem branches freely, producing abundant flower buds that open from late September through early November. The flowers (pictured at right) typically have between 12-18 lavender-blue to blue ray florets that resemble petals, surrounding a center of yellow disc florets, creating a beautiful display.

The Aster’s stems are very sturdy and unless the plants have been excessively fertilized, they do not need staking. Although the traditional thought would be to place the plant at the back of the border due to the height, the plants also look great when worked in among grasses such as Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ (Feather Reed Grass) that typically matures to 5’ tall (pictured at left). The blue flowers peaking above the grassy foliage, providing a very natural appearance similar to their native meadows. The flowers also have great symbolism. Hanakotoba is the ancient Japanese art of assigning a meaning to a flower, which in turn allows a person to communicate with others without any spoken words. ‘Flower talk’ so to speak! Aster tataricus expresses remembrance, a tribute I suspect due to its late blooming nature!

If the species form is a bit too tall, the selection named ‘Jindai’ grows to a more controlled height of 3-4’ tall. Rick Darke of Longwood Gardens and Sylvester ‘Skip’ March of the U.S. National Arboretum discovered this selection at the Jindai Botanic Gardens in Tokyo Japan during 1985. Although shorter in height, they are still spreading in nature and need to be watched to ensure they do not grow beyond their bounds by removing unwanted rhizomes early in spring. I have also found this habit to be a benefit, since the plants will spread into neighboring shrubs and create some attractive combinations. In one instance, as pictured at right, the Aster has spread amongst a Bonica® Shrub Rose and the sky blue flower of the Aster looks great growing amongst the soft pink flowers of the Rose! It has also spread into a Salix alba ‘Britzensis’, commonly known as Coral Bark Willow that is coppiced or pruned back to 8-10” annually. The stems of the Willow develop a light red coloration by mid-October, providing a nice backdrop for flowers. Another pleasant combination is with Amsonia hubrictii, the Blue Star Amsonia; the yellow fall color of the Amsonia pairs beautifully with the central yellow disc flowers of the Aster, as seen in the image below. So many combinations!

Both the cultivar ‘Jindai’ and the straight species produce copious amounts of nectar late into the season and are beneficial to a number of pollinators, including bees, beetles, moths and wasps. The plants are best grown in full sun in moist to average garden soil. As I have discovered, they do require more acidic soils and fail to perform well in soils with a high pH. Other than occasionally rogueing out some rhizomes that have ventured too far afield, Aster tataricus is very low in maintenance and truly is one of the ‘Flowering Stars’ in the November Garden.

Bruce Crawford
Program Leader in Home and Public Horticulture, NJAES

Helianthus: A Plant with a Sunny Disposition

The autumn months are synonymous with fresh apple cider, donuts and for the garden, Chrysanthemums. I enjoy the many varieties and colors of Chrysanthemums and, aside from a few very hardy selections, I find them to be more ideal candidates for containers than additions to the Garden beds. This then begs the question of what to plant in the Garden? Finding colorful plants for September into October is often a challenge, since many have already completed their bloom. Yet, there remain some great plants and one plant that has consistently amazed me for its sunny impact and length of bloom is the Swamp Sunflower, Helianthus angustifolius.

Helianthus is in the Asteraceae or Aster Family and, with over 1,900 Genera and 32,900+ species, it would make one very large family gathering at Thanksgiving! In fact, Helianthus alone has over 70 species. The genus name was penned by the Swedish Botanist, Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) in 1753 and is derived from the Greek Helios for sun and Anthos for flower. The botanical and common name of Sun Flower stems from the heliotropic nature of these plants, whereby the flower is able to move and follow the sun as it tracks Westward throughout the day (as the field of Sunflowers depict on the last page). The plants developed this ability to maintain the maximum reflectivity of the flower and heightened ability to attract pollinators. In Greek Mythology, this diurnal movement prompted the story of the water nymph Clytie who was infatuated with the sun god Apollo. For nine days she stared up at him as he traversed the sky. Without food she withered away and turned into a Sunflower, continuing to watch his daily travels for all of eternity!

The type species or the plant by which the remainder of the species are compared is Helianthus annuus, the Common Sunflower. As the species epithet implies, it is an annual and is found throughout Western North America south into Northern Mexico. Seed hardy from zone 2-11, the coarse textured plant with pubescent stems and leaves rapidly grows to 5-10+ feet in height. The flowers have a whimsical quality and make for a very popular cut flower. Most of the hybrids produce one large flower, upwards of 12” in diameter per stalk, but if allowed to reseed, the seedlings are typically multi-branched with a number of smaller flowers. This plant has found multiple uses aside from ornamental, with the fruit being used for oil and food, and the birds love the fruits whether from a bag or right from the flower! Plants prefer full sun and well-drained soils. Recently, a more compact hybrid has come on the market called ‘Sunfinity’ (pictured below, left). It displays a more compact habit to 3-4’ tall and wide, with a continuum of 3-4” diameter flowers from June through September or early October. By comparison, the Swamp Sunflower (pictured at left at Crystal Springs and an individual flower ,right) is a long-lived perennial that prefers moist or water retentive soils and is native from Texas, northeast to Long Island. Also named by Carl Linnaeus in 1753, the species epithet is from the Latin angust for narrow and foli for leaf, describing the narrow leaves which can reach upwards of 6” long. The stout stems typically reaching 5-7’ tall with a spread of 4-6’.

One of the interesting aspects of the Asteraceae is the misleading appearance of any given ‘flower’. The word Aster is from the Greek Astēr, meaning star. It is a reference to how the flowers have a star-like center with the ‘petals’ resembling the emanating rays of sunlight. In reality the flower is composed of not one, but 100’s of small, individual flowers! This family was originally called the Compositae, since the ‘flowers’ consist of a composite of many small flowers or florets. The light rays along the edge are ironically called Ray Florets and the circular flowers that compose the central star are called disc florets. The flowers open or mature from the outer edge inwards, with the Ray Florets opening or maturing first and the central disc florets last. All the florets are attached to a plate called a receptacle and the entire structure is called a flower head or capitulum. The showy outer ring of ray florets is typically 3 petals fused into one, strap-like ligule, whose function is to attract the pollinators. Depending on the genus, the ray florets can be sterile or fertile and bare seed. The central disc florets are circular in shape with 5 fused and severely reduced petals. In place of the typical calyx or leafy bracts that subtend the petals, there exists a thread-like structure called a pappus that ultimately aides in the dispersal of the seed. In dandelions, the parachute structure that allows the seeds to magically float about is the pappus. In Helianthus, the pappus matures into two scales that fall off when the fruit is mature. The florets sit upon an ovary which develops into a fruit called a cypsela. Often considered to be an achene, a cypsela and an achene are very similar in that they are both a dried fruit that contains a seed. The difference being a cypsela develops from a double ovary, while an achene develops from a single ovary. In both instances, only one seed is produced. Hence, when you are eating sunflower seeds, you are actually splitting open the dried husks of the fruit, allowing you to get to the edible inner seed!

For Swamp Sunflower, I have found it best to site the plant in a location that receives adequate moisture. After planting them several times in more well-drained location, the planting that has proven most successful over the past 10 years is at the base of a hill where it receives all the stormwater sheet flow from above (as seen above at Crystal Springs). The 2” diameter yellow flowers bloom profusely from late September through October and they look beautiful against the clear blue autumn skies. The plants look great paired with Winterberry Holly (Ilex verticillata), Blue Star Amsonia (Amsonia hubrichtii), Limelight Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’) and even the now drying stems of Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum). The plants are also a host plant for the Silvery Checkerspot Butterfly and the seeds are much beloved by songbirds, Ruffled Grouse, Quail and Morning Doves. Consequently, it is best to leave the stems up through the winter months.

A champion plant for our native pollinators, Helianthus angustifolius remains an uncommon plant in many gardens, which to me defies logic. Easily grown, long-lived with a very sunny disposition, this is a plant for autumn gardens!

Bruce Crawford
Director, Rutgers Gardens

Trumpets From the Heavens

A ‘Tropical’ is a term used for plants that are a perennial in their native regions that typically hover somewhere close to the equator. Due to their lack of frost tolerance, they serve more as annuals in temperate gardens. Of course, plant lovers try to make them perennials by bringing them indoors for the colder months. Personally, I think it is more to see if they can show off their horticultural acumen by actually saving the plant than saving the cost of buying anew come the spring. There are in fact numerous Tropicals that the gardener can overwinter indoors, but none is probably as spectacular in size or bloom as is Brugmansia or Angels Trumpet!

Brugmansia is a member of the Solanaceae or Nightshade family of which the Tomato, Pepper and Eggplant are very renowned members. Currently, there are seven known species that were ‘originally’ native along the Andes from Venezuela to Northern Chile and SE Brazil. I emphasize ‘originally’ since the seven species are no longer found in the wild and are now classified as extinct! The cause for extinction is possibly due to the loss of the animal or insect responsible for seed dispersal or perhaps the result of over-harvesting of the species for the powerful Tropane Alkaloids found in the plants tissues.

Brugmansia is closely related to another alkaloid bearing plant named Datura. In fact, Angels Trumpet was initially named Datura by the Swedish Botanist and Physician Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) in 1753. It was not until 1805 that Christiaan Hendrik Persoon (1761-1836), who resided for most of his life in Paris and was most noted for his classification of mushrooms, properly classified this plant. The genus honors the Dutch botanist and physician Sebald Justin Brugmans (1763-1819). The common name of Angel’s Trumpet comes from the dangling, 6-10” long trumpet shaped flowers that resemble musical instruments pointed downward from Heaven (as seen above and at right). On the flipside Datura is often called Devil’s Trumpet since the 4-6” long flowers point upwards, resembling trumpets blaring up from the depths of the underworld. Clearly, Brugmansia received the more marketable name!

Aside from the orientation of the flower, there are numerous other differences. Unlike Datura, which consists of several herbaceous species reaching 4’ tall, Brugmansia species and hybrids are woody plants that have the potential to reach impressive heights of 10-30+ feet, depending upon the cultivar or species. The ovate foliage is arranged alternately and typically is lightly pubescent. For the selection ‘Snowbank’, the foliage is trimmed with a wide white border that nicely compliments the salmon flowers and has a far more robust border than the selection ‘Variegata’. The flowers have a lemony fragrance in the early evening to attract pollinating hawkmoths and bats, with the flower persisting for 2-6 days. The individual colors range from white to pink, yellow, orange and even maroon. The flowers typically appear in waves, separated by a 2-3 week rest period, allowing the plant to store up reserves for the next floral flush. By contrast, Datura features white or purple flushed flowers that occasionally appear as double. These flowers also open in the evening and are attractively fragrant.

With its impressive size and relatively rapid rate of growth, it is no wonder that Brugmansia requires nutrient rich soils and sustained irrigation. Containers are a nice way to elevate and display the flowers on younger plants, since it brings the flower up to the gardeners and allows one to peer upwards into the flower (as seen below with ‘Cypress Gardens’ and below with ‘Frosty Pink’).

When using containers, it is important to situate the plants in slightly larger containers, reducing the chance of the pot becoming root bound and drying out more rapidly. Flowering is greatly reduced should the plant experience drought! Container plants should also be on a weekly regiment of liquid fertilizer since slow release pellets do not provide a sufficient amount of nutrients for the plants. Locate Brugmansia in full sun for optimal growth, although light shade will also provide respectable results. If you are among those dedicated gardeners who wish to overwinter the plant, allow the plant to be defoliated by the first few autumn frosts before bringing the plant inside for the winter. Allowing the plant to become ‘frosted’ induces dormancy in the plant. It also results in the leaves dropping from the plant, which removes the food source for white fly, aphids, mealy bug and scale. Bring the plant indoors into a cool, dark location such as a basement, an attached but unheated garage or a cool closet and reduce the watering such that the soil remains only lightly moist. The lack of sunlight will aid in keeping the plant dormant and the dry soils will prevent root decay. Come spring, reintroduce the plant to light, prune off any dead wood, up-pot into a larger container and restart the fertilizing regiment!

Most of the plants available for the Garden are hybrids, rather than a species, which explains the obvious absence herein of species descriptions. Plants will also root fairly easily from cuttings, should a friend have a selection that you are envious of growing in your garden! Although far from dangerous in a garden display, care should be taken when handling cuttings. The Tropane Alkaloids mentioned earlier include strychnine, atropine and scopolamine, which in small quantities yield a numbing effect on the brain while larger quantities result in violent hallucinations and death. Obviously, great care and plastic/rubber gloves needs to be used while working with cuttings! Fortunately, the presence of the alkaloids does make the genus very resistant to deer browse.

A plant with great presence, intriguingly beautiful flowers and a sincere note of respect, Brugmansia has proven to be a wonderful plant for decorating the garden and wowing visitors. Should you be looking for a Tropical that provides the visual equal of horns sounding from the heavens above, this is the plant for you!