Callistephus chinensis has been cultivated in Chinese gardens for centuries, arriving in European horticulture in the early eighteenth century and promptly spawning hundreds of cultivars that bear little resemblance to the modest wild plant. The name signals ambition: kalli- from the Greek for beautiful, stephos for crown. Modern selections range from eight-inch dwarfs to three-foot cutting varieties, their flowers from single daisy-forms with yellow centers to fully double pompoms in white, pink, red, violet, blue, and purple. Few annuals offer this range in a single genus.

China asters are cool-weather plants and bloom best when started in spring for a summer-into-fall display, or in late summer for autumn color in mild climates. They want rich, consistently moist, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade, with good air circulation to keep fungal problems at bay. The cardinal rule of growing them successfully is rotation: siting plants in different garden beds each year dramatically reduces the buildup of wilt and stem rot in the soil. Cut the stems generously once blooms open and they will continue performing for weeks, attracting bees and other pollinators along the way.