Six of the Best Asters

It might be small in stature, but the aster, or the Michaelmas daisy as it is sometimes known, is always big on quality. Its name comes from the Ancient Greek word astron, meaning "star", referring to the shape of the flower head.

With its beautiful star-shaped flowers, it is hardly suprising that asters have become a gardening classic. They come in a variety of colours and can provide bursts of brightness in a formal bed, as well as creeping colourful groundcover in informal cottage gardens. They're an important source of colour in the late summer and autumn garden. And asters are also important for wildlife gardeners since butterflies love them, and they are one of the favourite foods for many caterpillar species - but that's both good and bad news!