Erigeron 'Dunkelste Aller'

About this cultivar:

Erigeron 'Dunkelste Aller' is a hybrid Erigeron cultivar which probably features Erigeron speciosus as a prominent parent. It was bred by the German seed company Benary, a firm that is still going strong since 1843! Released in 1951, the name translates from German as 'Darkest of All'.  Tho is it probably not the darkest these days....

It features large flowers with deep violet rays and yellow centre disks atop stiff stems rising from a basal clump of lance-shaped green leaves. Smaller lance-shaped stem leaves. Blooms in summer with some intermittent rebloom extending into early autumn.

• Position: Full sun, partial shade
• Soil: Almost any soil, grows well in Ballyrobert
• Flowers: May, June, July, August maybe a second bloom in September and October
• Other features: Grows well in Ballyrobert, Bees and Butterflies
• Hardiness: H6 - Hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15°C), Fully hardy - grows well in Ballyrobert!
• Habit: Clump forming, bushy
• Foliage: Deciduous
• Height: 45 - 60 cm (1.5 - 2 ft)
• Spread: 30 - 60 cm (1 - 2 ft)
• Time to full growth: 2 to 5 years
• Plant type: Herbaceous Perennial
• Colour: Green, yellow, purple
• Goes well with: Fuchsia, Lupin, Lavendula,  Leucanthemum, Helianthemum and other daisies.  Shrubs like Philadelphus and Kolkwitzia also pair well.

About this genus:

Erigeron is quite a large genus, with 390 species of annuals, biennials and perennials, not including all of the cultivars on the market too.  The most widely used common name, fleabane, is shared with related plants in several other genera. It is derived from the belief that the dried plants repelled fleas, whilst the name Erigeron is derived from the Greek (eri = early; geron = old man), a reference to the appearance of the white hairs of the fruit soon after flowering. 

As a member of the daisy family, the flowers unsurprisingly daisy like. Cultivar flowers can be white, blue or pink in colour and are produced in profusion for 1-2 months in the summer or autumn, depending on the species.

Erigeron need to be in well drained sunny areas - they type of soil doesn't matter as long as it is reasonably well drained. They are quite drought tolerant - a good plant for the seaside garden.

You can mass them together towards the front of the border, put them into a rock garden, or grow them in a container. Butterflies love them.  Try them with Fuchsia, Lupin, Lavendula,  Leucanthemum, Helianthemum and other daisies.  Shrubs like Philadelphus and Kolkwitzia also pair well.