Because birds and plants are so interconnected, you can attract specific birds by growing specific plants.
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Symphyotrichum novae-angliae 'Purple Dome' Purple Dome New England aster
Purple Dome New England aster
Characteristics
Descriptions
Light Requirements
sun, part-sun
Soil Moisture
dry, moist
Soil Description
rich, average, clay
Height
16"-24"
Bloom Time
August, September, October
Bloom Color
violet, purple
Hardiness Zone
4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Description
"A Mt. Cuba Center Plant Introduction. Purple Dome New England aster is a refined plant for the garden border with its symmetrical, compact mounded form reaching only 2’ tall. In early autumn, it is covered with dense clusters of purple, daisy-like, semi-double flowers. While this aster can have late season foliar problems, it’s dense floral displays and short stature make up for this shortcoming. Purple Dome New England aster grows in sun to filtered shade and performs best in moist, well-drained soil, though it is tolerant of short dry periods. It combines well with Solidago caesia, Solidago rugosa ‘Fireworks’, Rudbeckia fulgida, and Coreopsis grandiflora." -- Mt. Cuba Center
"If you have never seen a mass of Aster 'Purple Dome' in full flower, then you haven't yet lived...horticulturally speaking! ... this wonderful selection of our drought-tolerant native New England aster. The 18" stems of fuzzy, narrow, green leaves are topped in early fall with vivid, 1.5" wide, shocking purple daisies...so thick you can't see the foliage. Aster 'Purple Dome' will eventually spread to 3'. Planted en masse, the effect is indescribable!" -- Plant Delights
Cultivation
The growing requirements for 'Purple Dome' are the same as for the straight species. It thrives in average, moist, well-drained soil, under full to part-sun. However, due to its shorter form and more compact habit, it will have a lesser tendency to flop. It will tolerate clay soil, road salt, and is deer resistant.
Additional Notes
New England aster ‘Purple Dome’ was first observed along Pennsylvania Route 100 below Allentown, PA by Robert G. Seip of Lennilea Farm and given to Mt. Cuba Center who introduced it in 1989.
Pricing & Availability
Would you like your plants shipped later? You may choose to do so in the shopping cart.
Note: Early spring shipments might include plants that have not yet broken dormancy, or have not been vernalized and will be frost-tender. Please use your best judgment when selecting your preferred ship week.
Note: Early spring shipments might include plants that have not yet broken dormancy, or have not been vernalized and will be frost-tender. Please use your best judgment when selecting your preferred ship week.
Did you know? When plants are available from multiple growers, we list growers closest to your location first.
Why choose plants from the nearest grower? Choosing a the grower closest to you makes it more likely the plants are consistent with your ecoregion and better adapted to your location. In addition, shipping plants shorter distances typically uses fewer resources, something we can all get behind!
Why choose plants from the nearest grower? Choosing a the grower closest to you makes it more likely the plants are consistent with your ecoregion and better adapted to your location. In addition, shipping plants shorter distances typically uses fewer resources, something we can all get behind!
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$25 off orders of $500 or more
$50 off orders of $750 or more
$100 off orders of $1,000 or more
$50 off orders of $750 or more
$100 off orders of $1,000 or more
$300 off orders of $2,000 or more
15% off orders of $3,000 or more
15% off orders of $3,000 or more
Plant Sizes
Sizes Sizes
Sizes info
Shipping & Planting
SHIPPING INFO:
Shipping is free on all plants orders!
Your plants will ship using each grower’s preferred method: FedEx Ground, UPS Ground, or Spee-Dee Ground (in select midwestern states). Our growers ship orders Monday through Wednesday. The farther your plants need to travel, the earlier in the week they will ship. The goal is to have all plants delivered by the end of the week.
Shipping plugs:
Plugs are shipped in full flats, sometimes also referred to as trays. Multiple flats can be shipped in a single box. The flats are wrapped in netting or craft paper to secure the plants, and spacers are used between flats to keep the plants from being crushed.
When you unpack your plugs, the plants will have been somewhat flattened by the netting or craft paper. They will straighten out within a couple of days. You may also gently “fluff” them a bit to speed up the process. In some cases, your plants might have been cut back before packing, if the grower deemed them to have become too tall for safe packaging. Don’t worry, though, these guys know what they’re doing and would not compromise the health of the plants. They’ll fill back in in no time.
After receiving your plants’ journey in a dark box, it will be important to acclimate them to sunlight again. Over a couple of days, you should gradually move them into their preferred light exposure, and water them as per their requirement.
Although we always recommend putting your plants in the ground as soon as possible, they can stay healthy in the flats for a considerable amount of time. The key is to respect their growing requirements: if the species requires full sun, do not store them in the shade. If it is best adapted to dry soil, do not over-water.
PLANTING INFO:
Planting plugs:
We consider plugs ready to ship when the plants’ roots have filled the entire liner cell and the plants can easily be pulled out. In some cases you will have to go about it gently, wiggling the plant by the crown, and possibly squeezing the bottom of the liner to compress the growing medium and release the roots. Other times, the plants will appear to be root bound. They are not in the traditional sense. The plants are healthy but they have used up all the growing medium available to them. Plugs are at an aggressive stage of growth. As soon as planted the roots will immediately expand into your native soil. They establish faster than plants in larger containers, because they don’t have the luxury of a lot of growing media that can inhibit the roots from venturing outside of their comfort zone.
We are not going to address area preparation because the process can be complex and is always site-specific. However, as a rule, we recommend disturbing the soil as little as possible, and we do not recommend amending the soil. If you chose the right plant for the right conditions they will thrive. Any disturbance and amendments will only encourage weeds to emerge that never had a chance to do so before.
Installing plugs cannot be easier: dig a hole large enough for the roots to fit snugly inside, then water them in to eliminate air gaps. We recommend using a soil knife, sometimes referred to as hori hori, or a drill-adapted auger if it’s a large installation. If you use an auger, you will need a powerful drill. Depending on the size of the project and the type of soil, the process can be beyond what an average drill will bear. Mulching is recommended after installation to help keep weeds down while the plants establish. Be sure to keep it away from the crown of the plants. For large projects, you may want to mulch the area before planting, rather than tiptoeing through it after the fact. As a side note: if you are installing plugs in the fall, you might want to plant them so that the crown is about ¾” lower than the surrounding soil. The winter’s freeze/thaw cycles can push plugs out if the roots did not have enough time to establish and anchor them in.