Aster alpinus ‘Violet’
Aster alpinus ‘Violet’ is a delightful, compact perennial that brings early summer colour to rockeries, borders, and containers. With bold violet-purple daisy-like flowers and a neat, clump-forming habit, it’s ideal for adding cheerful brightness to smaller spaces. This hardy and low-maintenance alpine aster thrives in sunny spots and well-drained soils, making it an excellent choice for gardeners of all experience levels.
Quick Facts
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Common Name: Alpine Aster
Flower Colour: Violet-purple with yellow centres
Height: 25cm (0.8ft)
Spread: 45cm (1.5ft)
Flowering Time: May to July
Hardiness: Hardy in the UK down to temperatures of <-20 degrees Celcius (RHS hardiness rating H7)
Position: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained, moderately fertile, neutral to alkaline soils
Cheerful Violet Flowers in Early Summer
Aster alpinus ‘Violet’ produces a striking display of single, daisy-like flowers in vivid violet-purple, each with a sunny yellow centre. Flowering in late spring to early summer, it brings welcome colour to the garden just as spring bulbs fade and before mid-summer plants take over. It’s perfect for bridging seasonal gaps in colour.
Compact and Clump-Forming
This variety forms a tidy clump of narrow, dark green leaves, staying compact and well-behaved. Its low-growing habit makes it perfect for edging, alpine gardens, small spaces, and containers. It will not spread aggressively, making it easy to position and maintain in mixed plantings.
Great for Rockeries and Gravel Gardens
Naturally suited to alpine and mountainous conditions, ‘Violet’ excels in sunny, well-drained positions such as gravel gardens, raised beds, rockeries, or the front of borders. It also performs well in stone troughs and pots, adding a pop of colour to patios and balconies.
Loved by Pollinators
The open-centred blooms are highly attractive to bees and butterflies, making Aster alpinus ‘Violet’ a valuable addition to wildlife-friendly planting schemes. Its early-season flowering offers one of the first rich nectar sources of the summer.
Growing Tips
Watering: Water well after planting. Once established, it only needs watering during prolonged dry spells.
Feeding: Not generally necessary in good soil. A light feed in spring may improve flowering.
Pruning: Deadhead spent flowers to encourage further blooming and prevent self-seeding.
Potted: Thrives in pots with free-draining compost and a sunny position.
Propagation: Divide clumps in early spring or autumn, or grow from seed.
Hardy and Low Maintenance
Aster alpinus ‘Violet’ is fully hardy throughout the UK and resistant to most pests and diseases. It requires very little attention and will reliably return each year, making it a great choice for low-maintenance garden areas.
Companion Planting Ideas
Combine with other sun-loving alpine or dwarf perennials for a natural-looking, textured display. Ideal companions include:
These partners enjoy similar growing conditions and offer a staggered display of colour across the seasons.
Why Choose Aster alpinus ‘Violet’?
With its vibrant blooms, compact form, and reliable performance, Aster alpinus ‘Violet’ is a must-have for adding early summer interest to any sunny garden space. Whether in containers, rockeries, or small border fronts, it delivers bold colour with very little effort.
Choose Aster alpinus ‘Violet’ for striking early blooms, pollinator-friendly flowers, and easy-care gardening success.
Buying Perennials from Jacksons Nurseries
At Jacksons Nurseries we lightly trim back our perennials after flowering and trim them back at the end of the season to ensure that the plants remain neat and tidy whilst in the pot. The more tender the plant the less we cut back to help protect exposed stems from winter frost. Depending on the plant variety we will then prune back further in spring once the risk of the more severe frosts is over.
As a result, depending on the time of year you buy perennials, they may not look like images showing their ‘prime time’ in flower and looking at their best.
From late autumn onwards and dependent on variety, there may be very little visible above the soil except for a few cut back dormant leaves or stems. It is perfectly normal for dormant plants to look like this from autumn onwards, they will however burst back into life in spring.
Availability: Stock availability figures are provided as a guide only. There is a delay between orders being placed and the plants being gathered by our pulling team. During this time it may be possible for a member of the public to purchase these plants from our Garden Centre, while this is rare it is a possibility and we will notify you of any problems as soon as possible. This figure may also include plants that have not yet be flagged as unsaleable.
Pre-order: Pre-order times are given as a guide only and may vary dependent on the growing season. Orders containing Pre-ordered products will be shipped as a single order when all items become available. Large orders may be part shipped, please contact us on 01782 502741 or email sales@jacksonsnurseries.co.uk.
Perennials are described and classified differently by different gardeners but all would agree that they are plants that come into flower every year from early spring to late summer, the exact time dependent on variety and most die back to ground level in autumn and winter.
As for all plants, soil preparation is time well spent. Dig over the area to be planted ensuring that the ground is free draining. If not then you may wish to either consider planting in a different spot or raising the level of the planting area by adding additional topsoil, well rotted garden compost and/or well rotted manure. Add ‘Fish, Blood and Bone’ fertiliser or a high potash fertiliser to encourage good root growth and development.
It’s always a good idea to plant a few of the same plant together, we recommend planting in 3’s or 5’s to provide a bold effect but allowing them plenty of room to develop.
Always check eventual plant heights when planning borders to ensure that the taller plants are at the back (or at the centre of an island bed) followed by the medium and then smaller low growing plants.
Remember to deadhead perennials after flowering, trim back lightly in autumn as required to tidy the border and if necessary trim again in spring once the risk of heavy frost has passed.
If perennials get too big, start to flower less and less or if it seems to be dying off from the centre, consider dividing the plant but always check that the particular variety is happy to be divided and that you divide at the right time of year for the plant.
By using this simple guide and a little time, perennials can make an absolutely spectacular difference to your garden.
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