(100 days) A very classy cutflower that may be harvested by the individual stem or in its entirety. Flowers sport distinct yellow centers amidst a variety of shades including apricot, blue, pink, red, rose, salmon and white. 2" semi-double blooms are concentrated at the top of strong 2½' stems. Annual. ③
Matsumoto Mix China Aster
Matsumoto Mix China Aster
(100 days) A very classy cutflower that may be harvested by the individual stem or in its entirety. Flowers sport distinct yellow centers amidst a variety of shades including apricot, blue, pink, red, rose, salmon and white. 2" semi-double blooms are concentrated at the top of strong 2½' stems. Annual. ③
Additional Information
China Aster
~450 seeds/g.
Annual. Callistephus is from Greek kallos meaning ‘beautiful’ and stephos, ‘crown.’ The common name of aster comes from the Greek astron, meaning ‘star,’ a reference to their shape and bright colors. The China Aster began its journey west around 1730 when a Jesuit missionary noticed it growing in a field near Beijing. Wildly popular by 1883 when Burpee listed 19 different classes of them compared to two each of marigold and zinnia. Good bedding plants or cutflowers.
Culture: Sow indoors at 70–72° in late winter, transplant after danger of frost. Cut stems when 2–4 flowers have opened. Vase life is 5–7 days, longer if you use a floral preservative. Aster Yellows is a serious disease problem. Use floating row covers to keep out leafhoppers, the vector.
Flowers
All flowers are open-pollinated except where noted.
Days in parentheses after a variety indicate days to first bloom.
Germination Testing
For the latest results of our germination tests, please see the germination page.
Our Seeds are Non-GMO
All of our seeds are non-GMO, and free of neonicotinoids and fungicides. Fedco is one of the original companies to sign the Safe Seed Pledge.