Tatarian aster 'Jindai'
Aster tataricus 'Jindai' · Asteraceae
The last aster of the year: lavender-blue daisies in October and November on stout, self-supporting stems above huge, paddle-shaped leaves.
- Size
- 4 ft tall, 2½ ft wide
- Zones
- 3 to 9
- Light
- Full sun
- Flowers
- Early October to early November
- Pets
- No toxicity recorded
- Job in a bed
- Drift
A bed built around Tatarian aster 'Jindai'
The planner designed this bed around Tatarian aster 'Jindai' when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) English border in zone 6, full sun. It chose the other plants from the 966 that suit those conditions, and says below why Tatarian aster 'Jindai' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Tatarian aster 'Jindai' × 4, purple
- 2 Cottage pinks × 8, pink
- 3 Woodland strawberry × 8, white
- 4 Switchgrass 'Cheyenne Sky' × 5, purple
- 5 Silver sage × 1, silver leaves
- 6 Coneflower 'Green Jewel' × 3, green
- 7 Hardy gladiolus × 4, pink
- 8 Schubert's allium × 2, pink
Why this plant
- Nothing here is unique to it. Its leaf, flower shape and colour are all on the plan already. Its case rests on where it stands and when it performs.
Why here
- Anchors a back corner. At 4 ft it is the tallest plant here, and the tallest close the ends of the bed, where they stand in front of nothing.
- A step in the back row. Next to hardy gladiolus (2½ ft) and switchgrass 'Cheyenne Sky' (3 ft): no two neighbours there are the same height, so the back steps up and down like a skyline.
- 4 plants in 2 groups (3 and 1). Seen again further along, the same plant ties the bed together.
Why now
- In flower for six weeks. From early October to early November.
- Closes the season. In all that time nothing else on the plan is in flower.
Planned as an English border: 6 of the 7 groups (86%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. Pink runs through the planting: 3 of the 7 kinds grown for their flowers have it. Tatarian aster 'Jindai' and switchgrass 'Cheyenne Sky' anchor the back corners of the bed: the tallest plants on the plan stand there.
The planner's own design check: 14 Excellent, 2 Good, 1 Satisfactory. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where Tatarian aster 'Jindai' goes in a border
At 4 ft it belongs at the back of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is moderately tall (3 to 4 ft).
Its job: drift. Planted in a small group of three or five, and repeated further along in the other number.
It flowers after the first frosts, when everything else has finished, and unlike the species this selection stands without staking. It spreads by runners, so divide it every few years.
- The latest flowers in the border
- Nectar for late butterflies
- The back of a sunny bed
What to plant with Tatarian aster 'Jindai'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Switchgrass 'Shenandoah': its green leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after; fine leaves against its bold ones.
- Sedum 'Autumn Joy': in flower together for two weeks, from early October; low enough (24 in) to stand in front of it.
- Feather reed grass 'Karl Foerster': fine leaves against its bold ones.
Questions about Tatarian aster 'Jindai'
Does Tatarian aster 'Jindai' need sun or shade?
Tatarian aster 'Jindai' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day).
It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells.
What zones does Tatarian aster 'Jindai' grow in?
USDA zones 3 to 9. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
When does Tatarian aster 'Jindai' flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers early October to early November. As an autumn flower it keeps much the same dates in every zone: it answers to shortening days and cool nights more than to the warmth of spring.
| Zone 3 | Early October to early November |
|---|---|
| Zone 4 | Early October to early November |
| Zone 5 | Early October to early November |
| Zone 6 | Early October to early November |
| Zone 7 | Early October to early November |
| Zone 8 | Early October to early November |
| Zone 9 | Early October to early November |
Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.
How far apart should Tatarian aster 'Jindai' be planted?
24 in (60 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 2½ ft (75 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 4 ft (120 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many Tatarian aster 'Jindai' plants do I need?
At 24 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 3 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 6 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 10 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.
In the bed above, the planner used four in two groups.
Is Tatarian aster 'Jindai' poisonous to dogs and cats?
No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.
"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.
Is there a native plant like Tatarian aster 'Jindai'?
Tatarian aster 'Jindai' comes from Europe, Siberia. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:
- New England aster 'Alma Pötschke': the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers late August to mid October, pink, not purple.
- Joe Pye weed 'Little Joe': the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers late July to early September, pink, not purple.
- False sunflower: the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers late June to early September, yellow, not purple.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
Do deer eat Tatarian aster 'Jindai'?
They may. NC State does not list it as resistant to deer or rabbits. Where they visit, protect it, or plant it among ones they avoid.
Will Tatarian aster 'Jindai' spread?
It spreads sideways, by runners or roots; the risk of it taking over is moderate. Spreads by underground runners and can crowd its neighbours. Dig out the edges or divide every 2 to 3 years.
What does Tatarian aster 'Jindai' look like in winter?
Tatarian aster 'Jindai' dies down to the ground and there is nothing to see until spring. The old stems can be cut in autumn, or left until spring as shelter for overwintering insects.
Is Tatarian aster 'Jindai' good for bees and butterflies?
Tatarian aster 'Jindai' is visited by bees, butterflies and moths.
More Aster
- Alpine aster Aster alpinus
- Frikart's aster 'Monch' Aster x frikartii 'Monch'
In these guides
- Pet-safe plants for a sunny border
- Plants for butterflies
- Plants for bees
- Tall perennials and grasses for the back of a border
- Plants that flower in fall
Zone guides: Zone 3 · Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8 · Zone 9
Every fact on record
- Type
- Perennial
- Size
- 4 ft (120 cm) tall, 2½ ft (75 cm) wide
- Plant
- 24 in (60 cm) apart
- Height class
- Moderately tall (3 to 4 ft)
- Place in the bed
- Back
- Flowers
- Early October to early November; daisies; purple
- Leaves
- Bold texture, herbaceous; green
- Shape
- Upright, spreading
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 3 to 9
- Light
- Full sun
- Soil
- Average, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- None needed
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Comes from
- Europe, Siberia
- Attracts
- Bees, butterflies, moths
- Stands up to
- Heat, humidity
Checked against NC State Extension. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.