China Aster, Callistephus chinensis, is a member of the Asteraceae family that includes the chrysanthemum and daisy. Unlike other aster varieties, this particular species is not a perennial, but an annual. China asters (Callistephus chinensis) are long-blooming cool-weather annual flowers that will fill your borders with a vibrant rainbow of colors from summer to fall.

Understanding the Context

Callistephus / kæˈlɪstɪfəs / [2] is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the aster family, Asteraceae, containing the single species Callistephus chinensis. China Asters (Callistephus chinensis) are a lovely addition to the cutting garden. There are many types of Asters, including popular cultivated and wild native Perennial types. China aster (Callistephus chinensis) is an easy-to-grow annual that delights with its vibrant blooms, making it a popular choice for cut flower arrangements.

Key Insights

Very showy, China Aster (Callistephus chinensis) is a beautiful annual and one of the most rewarding summer flowers with its brilliant colors and profuse blooms over a long season extending from early summer to fall. Callistephus chinensis, commonly called China aster, is a popular annual that provides showy, 3-5-inch diameter blooms from early summer to fall on plants clad with ovate, toothed, medium green leaves. 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