China Aster 'King Size Apricot'
Callistephus chinensis
The tallest China Aster we've grown with 2 1/2–3" double and semidouble, light peachy-apricot flowers.
China Asters combine elegant blooms and refined colors in an easy-to-grow annual. A beloved cut flower since the 19th century, their enduring popularity is due to their long vase life, feminine form, and wide range of colors. Particularly, we adore the soft pastel varieties, which you'll find in our collection!
It's been a few years since I've grown China Asters. My first year flower farming, they *totally* saved my butt later in the season, when most other flowers were beginning to fade (and our customers adored them). Back in the day, they were also some of my most-liked photos on Instagram :) As our dahlia production exploded, I cut many late-season crops to focus on them. Now that Matt is equally involved in the dahlias, I started adding many of my late-season favorites back into rotation. Enter, China Asters! If you want more inspiration and eye candy, I love this article by Floret.
Packet contains approximately 50 seeds.
DETAILS
Plant type: Hardy annual
Days to maturity: 110–120 days
Light preference: Full sun
Plant spacing: 6–12 inches
Plant height: 34–40 inches
Hybrid status: Open pollinated
SOWING
Depth: 1/8 inch
Days to germination: 10–14 days at 70–72°F
How to Grow
Sow indoors 6–8 weeks before transplanting out. To avoid short stems, establish plants early. Heat and reduced daylength initiate flowering. Pinching is not required.
Harvest & Vase Life
Fresh: Harvest single-stem varieties when the outer ray florets begin to open. Harvest spray varieties when at least 3 flowers are open or 1/2 of flowers are open. Dried: Harvest when blooms are fully open.
Expected vase life: 7 to 14 days.
SHIPPING
FREE: $100 or more on any seeds
$3.95: 1–9 seed packets
$7.95: 10+ seed packets
Photo Credit: Johnny's Selected Seeds
