September Birth Flowers: Vibrant Aster and Morning Glory

Sally Painter

Sally is a prolific non-fiction and fiction writer, who has appeared in multiple print and digital publications.

Published April 14, 2021

Your September birth flower choices are the aster and morning glory. The aster flower is said to look like a radiant star. The morning glory is a climber with a velvety, trumpet-shaped flower. However, having two blooms as a September flower doesn't necessarily mean you must choose only one. You may decide that both birth flowers are ideal for your flower garden or to give as a meaningful gift to someone celebrating their September birthday.

Aster as the September Birth Flower

Aster flowers are perennials and can offer you an extended bloom time. Different species have seasonal bloom times, while some asters will bloom from early spring to fall. You can often extend the bloom time by pinching/pruning about one-third of the stem length soon after the flowers begin to bloom. Pinching will encourage the plant to produce more flowers and give you a longer bloom time.

Best Spot in Your Garden to Plant Asters

You may choose to plant asters in your wildflower garden for a great addition to a cottage look. Many gardeners prefer planting aster for their flower borders. The aster flower offers you many species choices, especially when it comes to the height, since the range starts around 8 inches with some asters growing 8 feet tall! This means you want to be sure you understand how tall the asters you choose will grow.

Grow From Seeds

Start plants indoors and then transplant in the spring once the threat of frost is over or direct sow the seeds after the threat of frost has passed.

Propagate Asters Through Division

Divide aster plants and transplant the divided clumps. It's a good idea to divide asters every two to three years to prevent overcrowding.

Sun Requirements

If you live in a climate that has cool summers with plenty of rain, then asters are an excellent flower for your garden. Plant the asters in full or partial sunlight. There are species suitable for warmer regions, but you should plant in an area where the flowers receive morning light and afternoon shade or partial shade.

Soil and Water Requirements

Asters prefer loamy soil for their roots to settle in. Well-drained soil is a must, since asters prefer moist soil, but not wet or soggy. You can add mulch around the plants to keep cool and retain moisture. Water regularly, especially if your garden receives less than one inch of rainfall per week.

Common Pests and Diseases

Some of the pests that threaten asters include the usual suspects of aphids, leaf hoppers, leaf miners, thrips, and caterpillars. Some of the diseases asters are prone to contract include powdery mildew, rust, leaf spots, and aster yellows (virus).

Aster Symbols and Meanings

Aster flowers are symbols of innocence and love. Other meanings associated with this star-like flower are faith and wisdom. Aster is often given to a friend or loved one with a September birthday as a way to celebrate their birth flower.

The different aster colors available give you a few choices for your garden color palette. Knowing the meaning of each color may help you decide which ones to plant or more importantly, which ones to use in a birthday bouquet.

Blue - loyal, dedicated
Pink - new, young love
Purple - wisdom, often spiritual
Red - deep devotion
White - renewal

The magical appeal of asters is reflected in Ancient Greek mythology. The Greek goddess Astraea grew distressed that the night sky had so few stars. She began to weep, and her tears fell to the ground. Suddenly, star-shaped flowers began to sprout every place her tears touched the ground.

Morning Glory as the September Flower

The September birth flower, morning glory, has a wide range of colors that include purple, pink, white, blue, and magenta. The delicate, shallow trumpet-shaped flower has a romantic mystique as a climber. The flowers unfurl and open wide in the morning sun, only to close and die at sunset. Morning glories first bloom in early spring and will continue until the first frost in the fall.

How to Grow Morning Glories

Morning glories are extremely low-maintenance. In fact, they will reseed themselves each year. These climbers have curly tendrils that add to their unique, graceful beauty. A favorite Victorian garden flower, these nostalgic beauties wrap themselves around poles, trellises, pergolas, and arbors. If you want to attract hummingbirds and butterflies into your garden, plant morning glories.

Sun and Soil Requirements

Morning glory flowers require full sun in order to open and trumpet their beauty all day. Soil that is well-drained and nutrient rich is the ideal for this flower. However, morning glory is a resilient flower that can survive in less fertile soil. The better the soil, the more flowers the vines will produce. The vines can grow 6-10 feet long in a single season, so you are assured of vibrant flowers to cover your trellis or pergola. Morning glory makes a vibrant, colorful groundcover.

Water Requirements

Keep the soil moist, but never over-water. Morning glory plants can tolerate drought conditions.

Pests and Diseases

Some of the pests that attack morning glory flowers include cotton aphids, leaf-cutter, spider mites, and leaf miner. Some of the common morning glory diseases include leaf spot and damping off (fungus).

Morning Glory Seeds Are Poisonous

Keep children and pets away from morning glory seeds. The seeds are poisonous.

Symbolism of Morning Glory

A morning glory is a symbol of mortality. The short lifespan of the flower also symbolizes unrequited love or a short-lived love. One myth found in Chinese folklore tells of two lovers represented by the morning glory. The couple were doomed, since they were only able to meet once a year for a special day together from sunrise to sunset.

You may enjoy learning the meanings of the morning glory colors. You can use these brief explanations to select the morning glory color you wish to send to someone celebrating a September birthday.