code: 540
The slow-creeping carpet of stems carries short
Family: Compositae
Common name: Strachey’s Aster
Plant Classification: Hardy perennial
Minimum Height: 8 cm
Maximum Height: 10 cm
Diminutive in all aspects apart from flower size, this rare, dwarf creeping plant bears short-stemmed, pinkish mauve flowers with numerous exceptionally thin petals. The slow-creeping carpet of stems carries short, fleshy leaves, wider at their ends, and with noticeable deeply indented veining.
Sowing advice:
Seeds can be sown at any time but are best sown in winter or early spring to benefit from a cold spell in the wet compost to break their dormancy. We advise covering seeds very thinly with sand or fine grit to about the depth of the seed size. If the seeds do not come up within 6 to 12 weeks the damp seed tray can be given cold treatment in a fridge for about four weeks. They may still take very many months to appear, so please never discard the pot or tray.
General biosecurity comments:
Polyphagous moth pest which is morphologically identical to a pest already established in the UK in protected environments and being controlled by IPM. Not expected to cause greater impacts than other species of Chrysodeixis in the UK.
