Callistephus chinensis Nova Series (d)

RHS Plant Profile
China aster Nova Series
Plants for pollinators
Annual Biennial

An annual chinese variety to around 50cm height. Double, daisy-like flowers with very slender petals and almost no centre come in a wide range of red, purple, pink and cream shades, from midsummer to mid-autumn

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
1 year
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
East–facing or North–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H2

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Asteraceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Columnar upright, Tufted
Genus
Callistephus are bushy, upright annuals with coarsely toothed ovate leaves and large, solitary, daisy-like flower-heads, often double in cultivars, in late summer and autumn
Name Status
Correct

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in a sheltered site in fertile, moist but well-drained soil in full sun. Plant in a different spot each year

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown at 16°C in early spring or in situ in mid-spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Prairie planting
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Cut flowers
  • Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Deadhead to prolong flowering

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids and cutworms

Diseases

May be susceptible to verticillium wilt