Professor Kippenburg Fall Aster

Professor Kippenburg is a compact dwarf aster selected for a fall display. Nebraska Extension lists the exact Kippenburg spelling among dwarf asters, while Missouri Extension describes a similarly named compact purple-blue aster about 15 inches tall ([Nebraska Extension](https://extensionpubs.unl.edu/publication/g1214/na/pdf/view), [Missouri Extension](https://extension.missouri.edu/news/mums-forgotten-cousin-bursts-with-fall-color)). ## Form and Placement Use this compact selection near the front of a border or in a container where its autumn flowers can be seen. Nebraska Extension reports 12 inches of height and 18 inches of spread for its dwarf-aster listing; Missouri Extension describes Prof. Kippenberg at about 15 inches tall. These descriptions point to a much shorter garden form than larger asters, so allow space for the clump to fill out. ## Growing Conditions Grow in full sun or partial shade in well-drained soil. Missouri Extension recommends average soil fertility and cautions that excess fertilizer can make garden asters tall and floppy. The references differ in spelling and taxonomy: Nebraska lists Professor Kippenburg in a dwarf-aster entry with Aster × dumosus, while the RHS separately profiles the fuller name Professor Anton Kippenberg as Symphyotrichum novi-belgii. The RHS page does not establish that the fuller name is interchangeable with the shorter extension names ([RHS](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/340425/symphyotrichum-novi-belgii-professor-anton-kippenberg/details)). ## Maintenance Water container plants as needed and water landscape plants during establishment or extended dry spells. Pinching garden asters during early growth helps maintain a compact form; avoid heavy feeding, which can encourage floppy stems.