Practical
Plants

Aster tripolium

Sea Aster

a perennial member of the Aster genus in the family Compositae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Aster
Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.9 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Bees, Flies, Beetles, Lepidoptera, Self
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Flies, Beetles, Lepidoptera, Self

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Leaves and stems - the somewhat fleshy leaves are used to make pickles or are cooked[8][3][6]. A sweet taste[7]. The stem contains about 8.4% ash, whilst the leaf is 9% ash - this is mainly sodium chloride[7].

Plant part
Leaves

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Ophthalmic[2].

Product or use
Ophthalmic

Environment

Range
Coastal areas of Europe, including Britain, N. Africa and saline inland areas of Europe and C. Asia.
Habitat
Salt marshes and maritime cliffs[5].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 6+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant
Salinity
tolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - surface sow in spring in a cold frame. Do not allow the compost to become dry. Pre-chilling the seed for two weeks can improve germination rates[4]. Germination usually takes place within 2 weeks at 20°c[4]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in most good garden soils[1], preferring one that is well-drained and moisture retentive[9]. Prefers a sunny position[9]. This species tends to be a short-lived perennial[5]. Most species in this genus seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[10]. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[9].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Polunin. O. Flowers of Europe - A Field Guide. Oxford University Press 1969-00-00 ISBN 0192176218

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  3. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

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  4. Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 2. Thompson and Morgan. 1988-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  5. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  6. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩

  7. Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  8. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩

  9. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

  10. Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0 460 86048 8

    ↩

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