What’s Coming Up In The Garden, 53: climbing aster

Our local demonstration pollinator garden has a superb example of this climbing aster, and it’s what clued me in to planting it in the potager. It tends to bloom many months of the year here in central NC, so it will be wonderful to have for our bees.

Of course it’s a native to NC and given the success of the non-climbing asters I’ve planted in the past two years, I’m looking forward to seeing this one mature. 

We built this trellis using two posts we had on hand and a “hog panel” from our feed store that they cut in half for us. They come in 16-foot lengths, and we didn’t need anything quite that tall. But I have the other half in the barn so I can use it for something else when the time comes.

I’ve planted three climbing aster plants along the base of the trellis. Two have had their leaves chewed off by something - rabbit? Squirrel? Raccoon? I’m not sure. If this continues to be a problem I’ll use some chicken wire to allow these young plants to get a safe start.

More info:

Ampelaster carolinianus 

Common Name(s):

 

• Climbing Aster

Previously known as:

 

• Symphyotrichum carolinianum

Phonetic Spelling

am-pel-ASS-ter kay-ro-lin-ee-AY-nus

Description

Climbing Aster is a sprawling herbaceous perennial that produces long stems and can climb to heights greater than 10 feet. It prefers to sprawl over the top of fence posts or other plants or can be located and allowed to use a trellis for its support. The side branches grow horizontally, allowing them to use adjoining plants for support of the plant structure.

It can be found growing in marshy shores, stream banks, edges of swamps, moist thickets or wet woodlands. Standing water may affect the plant's health, so a location where good drainage can be accomplished is desirable. It will tolerate seasonal flooding.

Deadhead this plant in the fall, but refrain from any additional trimming at that time. Delaying until spring when the plant is showing signs of awakening is a better alternative.  

In the late summer and fall, it produces pink to purple blooms with yellow centers.

The rapid growing-spreading habit may require frequent division.

Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems:  Common diseases of the climbing aster include wilt disease, powdery mildew, and botrytis.

the girls have found the narrow leaf mountain mint!

The narrow leaf mountain mint is starting to trend in the pollinator beds today!

Three Young Bucks in Arcadia

My husband took this photo today while checking on the bees. I can’t stop looking at it. I love the deer and these three make me smile. 

PSA: Clementine says WEAR YOUR MASK!

Lots of folks are not wearing masks in NC as well as other states. If you wear a mask you protect others, and if others wear masks, they protect you. It’s not 100% but if both people wear masks, transmission of the virus is very low. So simple. An act that shows you care, you respect, you are doing one very important thing you can do personally to impact this pandemic. 

With thanks to my daughter for sharing this photo!

What’s Coming Up In The Garden, 52: threadleaf coreopsis

I’m finally getting back to identifying this. It’s a lovely plant and is doing very well in the pollinator beds here!

More info:

Coreopsis verticillata 'Zagreb' 

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Common Name: threadleaf coreopsis  

Type: Herbaceous perennial

Family: Asteraceae

Zone: 3 to 9

Height: 1.00 to 1.50 feet

Spread: 1.50 to 1.50 feet

Bloom Time: May to June

Bloom Description: Bright yellow

Sun: Full sun

Water: Dry to medium

Maintenance: Low

Flower: Showy

Tolerate: Deer, Drought, Dry Soil, Shallow-Rocky Soil

Garden locations

Culture

Easily grown in dry to medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun. Thrives in poor, sandy or rocky soils with good drainage. Tolerant of heat, humidity and drought. Prompt deadheading of spent flower stalks can be tedious for a large planting, but does tend to encourage additional bloom and prevent any unwanted self-seeding. Plants may be sheared in mid to late summer to promote a fall rebloom and to remove any sprawling or unkempt foliage. Species plants can spread somewhat aggressively in the garden by both rhizomes and self-seeding.

'Zagreb' can spread in the garden by rhizomes and self-seeding, particularly in moist fertile soils.

Noteworthy Characteristics

Coreopsis verticillata, commonly called threadleaf coreopsis or whorled coreopsis, is a rhizomatous perennial which typically grows in dense, bushy clumps to 1-3' tall. Features yellow, daisy-like flowers (1-2" diameter) with yellow untoothed rays and yellow center disks. Flowers appear singly in loose clusters (cymes) in a profuse and lengthy late spring to late summer bloom. Shearing plants in mid-summer will promote a fall rebloom. Palmately 3-parted leaves with thread-like segments lend a fine-textured and airy appearance to the plant.

The genus name comes from the Greek words koris meaning "bug" and opsis meaning "like" in reference to the shape of the seed which resembles a bug or tick.

Specific epithet means having whorls in reference to the leaves.

Plants in the genus Coreopsis are sometimes commonly called tickseed in reference to the resemblance of the seeds to ticks.

'Zagreb' is more compact (to 1.5' tall) and features bright yellow, daisy-like flowers (1-2" diameter) with untoothed rays and darker yellow center disks.

Problems

No serious insect or disease problems. Slugs and snails may occur. Tends to sprawl, particularly if grown in moist and/or fertile soils. Crown rot may occur if grown in moist, poorly drained soils. Uncommon diseases include botrytis, aster yellows, powdery mildew and fungal spots.

Garden Uses

Borders. Also effective in naturalized areas, native plant gardens or cottage gardens. Good plant for areas with poor, dry soils.