Erigeron (small-flowered) perennial: photo, planting and care

The perennial small-flowered is an unpretentious, ornamental plant of the Aster family. There are more than 200 varieties of culture in the genus, which have become widespread throughout the world.

Description and characteristics of the small-scale

The height of the bush in most varieties is up to 70 cm. The stems are thin, of varying degrees of branching. The spreading of the bush is medium. Leaf plates are lanceolate or oval-shaped, bright green. The length of each leaf reaches 18-20 cm.

In most varieties, the flowers look like a daisy in a photo. In a small-scale perennial, the buds are often solitary, although there are species in which the baskets are collected in inflorescences. The petals are elongated, combined into cups. The color of the buds is varied: white, pink, yellow, lilac. The average size of each flower in diameter is 3 cm.

Depending on the variety, buds appear in early summer and wither in mid-autumn or after frost.

Types and varieties of small-scale

A wide variety of varieties and types of erigeron allows you to choose the best option for your garden. Flower growers love the small-scale flower not only for its appearance, but also for its qualities: unpretentiousness, frost resistance.

caustic small-petal (Erigeron acris)

Herbaceous plant with fibrous root system. The height of the bush is 15-60 cm. The stems are straight, green with a reddish tinge. The upper shoots branch. Leaf blades are lanceolate, pointed. The buds are collected in baskets – paniculate inflorescences.

The flowers are pale lilac along the edges of the panicle, yellowish-green in the center. Flowering in the small-scale caustic occurs in June-August.

And although the chemical composition of the caustic species has not been studied, it is actively used in folk medicine, perennial erigeron is widespread everywhere, preferring meadows and forest glades, edges

Small-scaled compound (Erigeron compositus)

Perennial up to 15 cm high, the bush spreads up to 10 cm wide. The leaf plates are trifoliate or in the form of 4 lobes, gray-green in color. The buds are white or pink, there are varieties with pale blue baskets. The diameter of the inflorescence in a small-sized compound is up to 2 cm.

Baskets bloom at perennial erigeron in July, fade with the onset of cold weather

Beautiful small-flowered (Erigeron speciosus)

The perennial is taller than other types of erigeron: it reaches a height of 70 cm. The shoots are straight, slightly rough to the touch. Leaf plates are lanceolate, different in size: the foliage is larger at the roots than at the top of the bush. Flowers are collected in baskets.

In a beautiful small petal, the color can be heterogeneous: white, in various shades of blue, pink or lilac

Erigeron karvinskianus (Erigeron karvinskianus)

Perennial is the best option for cultivation in suspended structures, in flower beds. The height of the small petal of Karvinsky Profusion (Profusion) reaches 15 cm. If the flower is allowed to grow freely, it can spread up to half a meter in diameter. Outwardly, erigeron baskets look like daisies.

As soon as the Karvinsky bud opens, it is pink in color, but gradually its shade changes to white and then reddish

Small daisy-leaved

A feature of the variety is the color of the baskets. During the flowering period, the buds change color from pink to white, and then to a crimson hue.

From afar, the flower can be mistaken for a daisy, which is why the variety got its name.

Erigeron orange (Erigeron aurantiacus)

In nature, the plant can be found in the northwest of China or in Central Asia. Its height reaches 0,4 m, in diameter the bush grows up to 0,5 m.

The stems are straight, they have oval-elongated leaves. Inflorescences in the form of baskets in diameter reach 30 mm, rich orange color.

The orange variety has been cultivated by gardeners since 1879.

Small-petal Rose of July

Perennial photophilous, tolerates a light shadow. Plant height 40-60 cm. Small-flowered from April to September. Buds in the form of semi-double baskets, 3-4 cm in diameter. The color of the flowers is lilac-pink, with a yellow center.

The Rose of July variety is suitable for cutting into bouquets, it looks beautiful both in single plantings and in compositions.

pink treasure

Externally, the plant is very similar to the aster. The height of the bush is up to 70 cm. The inflorescences are open, rich pink with a yellow center. The small-scale bird prefers sunny places. The flower does not tolerate stagnant moisture and shade.

A distinctive feature of the Pink Treasure variety is that it blooms twice a season: from June to August, and then in September

Azure Beauty (Azure Beauty)

The height of the variety is up to 70 cm, its shoots are densely leafy, straight. The flowers are baskets with a yellow core and small petals of a lilac color with a purple tint. The flowering of the small-flowered is plentiful, lasts from July to August.

The variety is ideal for cutting, for planting in mixborders, flower beds

Erigeron hybrid Blau (Blau)

Bushy perennial with straight, branched shoots, up to 50 cm high. The bush grows up to 75 cm in diameter. The leaf plates are narrow, the baskets are large, solitary, with a yellow core. The petals of the erigeron hybrid Blau are lilac.

The variety is winter-hardy, prefers loose and moist soil, it is recommended for planting in mixborders, on rocky hills

Small-flowered light blue

The perennial plant has an external resemblance to asters, but it has pubescent seeds. The height of the bush is up to 70 cm. The buds are 4-5 cm in diameter, the color of the petals corresponds to the name: light blue. The core of the small petal is yellow.

Erigeron perennial light blue blooms from June to October

Methods of reproduction

The choice of reproduction of perennial erigeron is at the discretion of the gardener. Most centers sell seeds for sale. If there is a plant on the site, the small-scaled plant can be propagated by cuttings or vegetatively.

Propagation of small-scale seeds

The optimal time for the procedure is March or April. Seeds do not germinate well, so most gardeners start seeding in late February or early March to give seedlings a chance to get stronger.

When purchased in specialized stores, seed treatment is not required, manufacturers independently disinfect them

When growing a small-sized seedling from seeds, young seedlings are transferred to a permanent place in early May. Planting erigeron in open ground in April is possible for the southern regions or if gardeners have a greenhouse.

Vegetative way

The method is relevant if adult bushes of perennial erigeron grow on the site for 3-4 years. The method consists in dividing the bush into several parts with further transplantation to a new place.

The optimal time for the procedure is the last month of summer and the first half of September.

Cutting

From the bush of perennial erigeron, it is necessary to separate young shoots with part of the rhizome. Place the shoot in the garden soil and sprinkle with sand and wood shavings, water. As soon as the small-flowered plant takes root and begins to grow, it should be moved to a permanent place.

Conditions for growing small-scale

Erigeron perennial prefers alkaline soils. A flower is also able to grow on loamy or neutral soils, without stagnant water.

To determine the acidity of the soil, you can use indicator paper.

The landing site should be well lit, a slight draft is allowed. With an excess of moisture and a lack of light, perennial erigeron grows poorly and is prone to disease.

Planting and caring for perennial small-scale

The main planting method is sowing seeds. For those who want to achieve early flowering, it is recommended to use the seedling method. Perennial erigeron grows safely, planted with seeds in open ground.

When to sow seeds

You can sow the material both in spring and autumn. In February-March, the seeds are used to obtain seedlings. Before winter, the material is sown directly in open ground. The choice of planting time depends on personal preference and variety: if the selected species does not sprout well, then it is better to use the seedling method.

Sowing seeds and subsequent care

To plant seedlings in a prepared container, it is necessary to pour the soil, moisten it, then spread the seeds over the surface of the soil, planting them to a depth of 0,5 cm, slightly pressing with your finger.

Cover the container with foil, transfer to a warm windowsill. Shoots appear after 30 days. As soon as the seeds hatch, the film should be removed.

Further care consists in watering erigeron, picking it and transplanting it into open ground.

If a decision is made to plant the seeds directly into the soil, then the procedure should be carried out in warm, calm weather.

Landing principles:

• the bed will be dug up, the soil will be leveled;
• make furrows, keeping a distance of 25-30 cm between them;
• place the seeds to a depth of 1 cm, cover with earth and a layer of mulch.

When seedlings appear, it is necessary to thin out the plants, leaving a distance of at least 10 cm between them.

When the plants get stronger, they can be planted

Further care of the plant is simple: loosening the soil and watering. It should be borne in mind that excess water is detrimental to perennial erigeron. To reduce watering, it is enough to mulch the soil around the flower with sawdust.

Due to the abundant flowering in perennial erigeron varieties with long shoots, branches can bend down to the ground. Such bushes are recommended to establish a support.

Faded shoots are recommended to be cut off so that the perennial small-scale look more accurate. It should be borne in mind that when pruning, the bush will grow more magnificent next year.

And although erigeron is perennial frost-resistant, the soil around it should be mulched with dry foliage.

Diseases and pests

The flower is susceptible to mold, so it should not be watered too often. To prevent the occurrence of the disease, it should be treated with fungicides during flowering. It is allowed to irrigate the bush with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture.

If signs of disease are found on the shoots, the soil should be loosened, all affected parts of the perennial erigeron should be removed

Small-scale in landscape design

In open ground, gardeners prefer to plant perennial erigeron in company with zinnias, yarrow, ursinia and others. Looks good flower with sage, lobelia.

You can place it on the site in various places: along the paths, in rock gardens, hanging planters.

Low-growing varieties are preferably placed in the foreground.

As a background in flower beds, perennial erigeron is placed if the variety is tall. As companions, it is recommended to use geyhera, daisies and gaillardia.

When choosing a site, it should be borne in mind that the plant is growing, so in the garden you can create multi-colored “carpets” from the perennial small-petal

Conclusion

The small-flowered perennial is one of the most successful flowers for creating landscape design. A long flowering period and a bright, varied color of buds, unpretentiousness in care, the ability to grow in one place for up to 5 years are the main qualities of the culture. The disadvantage of perennial erigeron is the difficulty in planting, the seeds germinate for a long time and poorly.