Chrysanthemum Eastern Star is a lovely heirloom variety with beautiful two-tone flowers. The petals are primrose yellow nearest the middle, fading to cream at the tips around a dark centre. This is an easy-to-grow annual. The large open flowers are particularly popular with pollinators and become especially valuable as autumn settles in. They'll keep you supplied with cheerful blooms from midsummer right through to early October.
🌸 Flowering: July to October (earlier from autumn sowings in mild areas)
📏 Height: up to 75cm
🌿 Annual
💧 Drought tolerant once established
Sow: surface sow 1-2 seeds per module onto moist, well-drained seed compost. Press seeds gently into the compost but don’t cover them. Cover with clear plastic or glass until germination. This takes 2-3 weeks at 18-21C. Young seedlings don’t like to be transplanted, but when they have good established roots they’re fine to move. Alternatively it can be sown directly where it is to flower in September in sheltered or protected areas for earlier flowering the following spring – but you need to be in a mild area to do this.
Grow: when plants reach about 15cm tall, pinch out the main growing point to encourage branching. You can also pinch out the tips of the sideshoots until July. This will encourage bushier plants that can have more flowers. Space plants at 30cm apart. They like a sunny, open, well-drained site. Water well after planting. Once they've got their roots down, they'll pretty much get on with things themselves. Cutting regularly and deadheading prolongs flowering and encourages continuous blooms from summer into the autumn.
Enjoy: just when many summer flowers are beginning to fade, Eastern Star is still producing armfuls of cheerful blooms. You'll probably find yourself picking plenty for the house while leaving plenty for the bees.
🏡 In your garden
• Cottage and meadow gardens
• Wildlife gardens
• Cutting gardens
• Borders and beds
✂️ Cut flower
• Fresh vase life of 7 to 14 days
• Cut the stems long, plunging them straight into water. Trim (under water) at an angle, strip the lower leaves and pop in a vase.
• Change the water every 3 or 4 days and retrim the stems.
• Adding a few drops of white vinegar will slow bacterial growth and help the flowers last longer.
🐝 Wildlife friendly
• RHS Plants for Pollinators recommended variety
• The open, daisy-like flower heads are loved by bees, hoverflies and butterflies
• An important late-season source of nectar and pollen, helping bees and other pollinators before winter arrives.
💡 Did you know?
Eastern Star is a cultivated form of our native Corn Marigold, a familiar wildflower that has gathered dozens of local names over the centuries, including Boodle, Buddle and Goldings.
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