Perennial of the Asteraceae family, the Siberian aster is native to circumpolar regions, from Scandinavia to Siberia and up to Arctic Canada, where it colonizes rock gardens, screes, and grassy slopes at altitude, often in extreme cold conditions and low vegetation.
In cultivation, it forms a dense, suckering carpet, with a modest height of 10 to 12 cm, with medium green, oval, slightly veined foliage. The flower heads are generous for the size of the plant: lavender to pale lilac ligules, numerous and narrow, around a well-marked yellow-orange central disc that turns russet at maturity. The stems are reddish, upright, short.
In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from July to August. In cultivation under a temperate climate, it occurs from spring, which is a notable feature for an aster.
A species not widely available in commerce, it deserves a place in rock gardens or paving, in full sun, in well-drained, not too rich soil. Its suckering vigor quickly makes it an effective ground cover between stones.