Tower Chamois
Callistephus chinensis
Photo: Charles J. Sharp · Wikimedia Commons · (CC BY-SA 4.0)
All the elegance and beauty of peonies and garden mums in an easy-to-grow annual. Creamy salmon-colored blooms avg. 2-3" with 13-20 stems per plant. Tower features uniform bloom time and plant height across the series and mix. Also known as summer aster.
Harvest
110-120d
Days to harvest
Sun
Full sun to partial shade
Zones
2–11
USDA hardiness
Height
1-3 feet
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Tower Chamois in USDA Zone 7
All Zone 7 flower →Zone Map
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Tower Chamois · Zones 2–11
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
| Zone | Indoor Start | Transplant | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | April – May | June – July | June – August | — |
| Zone 4 | March – April | June – June | June – July | — |
| Zone 5 | March – April | May – June | May – July | — |
| Zone 6 | March – April | May – June | May – July | — |
| Zone 7 | February – March | April – May | April – June | — |
| Zone 8 | February – March | April – May | April – June | — |
| Zone 9 | January – February | March – April | March – May | — |
| Zone 10 | January – January | February – March | February – April | — |
| Zone 1 | May – June | July – August | July – September | — |
| Zone 2 | April – May | June – July | June – August | — |
| Zone 11 | January – January | January – February | January – March | — |
| Zone 12 | January – January | January – February | January – March | — |
| Zone 13 | January – January | January – February | January – March | — |
Succession Planting
Tower Chamois runs 110-120 days to bloom, which rules out rapid-fire succession — but two staggered rounds work cleanly. Start the first batch indoors in February-March for transplanting in April-May. Then start a second round indoors in late April for June transplants; those plants carry your late-summer and fall display. Don't push starts past early June — plants that haven't hit their juvenile phase by midsummer won't finish before frost in most zones.
Spreading your starts 3-4 weeks apart also gives you disease insurance. Aster yellows (transmitted by Macrosteles quadrilineatus leafhoppers) can move through a whole planting fast. If one cohort gets hit, the later batch — which hasn't been in the ground as long — often escapes or shows lower infection rates.
Complete Growing Guide
All the elegance and beauty of peonies and garden mums in an easy-to-grow annual. Creamy salmon-colored blooms avg. 2-3" with 13-20 stems per plant. Tower features uniform bloom time and plant height across the series and mix. Also known as summer aster. According to Johnny's Selected Seeds, Tower Chamois is 110 - 120 days to maturity, annual, open pollinated. Notable features: Use for Cut Flowers and Bouquets.
Light: Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day), Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours). Soil: Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), Sand. Soil pH: Acid (<6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0). Drainage: Good Drainage, Moist. Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.. Spread: 1 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.. Spacing: Less than 12 inches. Growth rate: Rapid. Maintenance: Medium. Regions: Coastal, Mountains, Piedmont.
Harvesting
Tower Chamois reaches harvest at 110 - 120 days from sowing per Johnny's Selected Seeds. Expect 2-3" at peak. As an annual, harvest continues until frost ends the season.
The fruit is a rough-textured, glandular, purple-mottled cypsela that turns gray with age.
Storage & Preservation
For fresh Tower Chamois blooms, store cut flowers in a clean vase with cool water (65-72°F) in a cool location away from direct sunlight and ripening fruit. Replace water every 2-3 days and trim stems at an angle daily. Shelf life is 7-10 days indoors. Preservation methods include: (1) Air drying—bundle stems loosely and hang upside down in a warm, dark, well-ventilated space for 2-3 weeks; (2) Pressing—place blooms between parchment paper under heavy books for dried arrangements; (3) Silica gel drying—bury flowers in silica gel in an airtight container for 5-7 days to retain color and shape.
History & Origin
Tower Chamois is open-pollinated, meaning seed saved from healthy plants will produce true-to-type offspring. Listed in the Johnny's Selected Seeds catalog.
Origin: China and Southern Russia
Advantages
- +Creamy salmon blooms offer elegant peony-like appearance in easy annual form
- +Produces 13-20 stems per plant for excellent cut flower yields
- +Uniform height and bloom time simplifies garden planning and arrangement
- +110-120 day season fits most growing regions without rushing
- +Low difficulty makes it perfect for beginner gardeners
Considerations
- -Susceptible to powdery mildew in humid or crowded conditions
- -Requires consistent deadheading to maintain continuous blooming throughout season
- -Prefers well-draining soil and struggles in heavy clay beds
- -Salmon coloring may fade or shift in intense afternoon heat
Companion Plants
Marigolds (Tagetes spp.) and Sweet Alyssum pull real weight here. Marigold root secretions suppress soil nematodes over a full growing season — relevant since Tower Chamois sits in the ground 110-120 days — and their scent compounds confuse thrips and aphids looking for a landing spot. Sweet Alyssum draws in parasitic wasps and hoverflies that predate those same aphids, and at 4-6 inches tall it stays well below the aster canopy without competing for light. Lavender and Yarrow work on the same principle: long-blooming, insect-attractive, and shallow enough not to crowd the 18-24 inch spacing asters need.
Black Walnut is the hardest no. Juglone leaches from its roots and leaf litter across a wide area and stunts most annuals — Tower Chamois included. Mint is a different problem: it spreads underground fast enough to physically invade whatever spacing you've set, and it's almost impossible to remove once established in a bed. Fennel releases allelopathic compounds that inhibit growth in a wide range of nearby plants; it belongs in its own container, not mixed into a cutting bed.
Plant Together
Lavender
Attracts beneficial pollinators and repels pests with aromatic oils
Marigolds
Natural pest deterrent, repels nematodes and aphids
Thyme
Shares similar growing conditions and attracts beneficial insects
Rosemary
Aromatic herb that deters pests and thrives in similar well-drained soil
Nasturtiums
Acts as trap crop for aphids and adds beneficial ground cover
Sweet Alyssum
Attracts beneficial predatory insects and provides low ground cover
Yarrow
Improves soil health and attracts beneficial insects for pest control
Calendula
Companion flower that attracts pollinators and beneficial predatory insects
Keep Apart
Black Walnut
Produces juglone toxin that inhibits growth of many flowering plants
Mint
Aggressive spreader that competes for resources and can overwhelm other plants
Fennel
Allelopathic properties inhibit growth of nearby flowering plants
Troubleshooting Tower Chamois
What you'll see, why it happens, and what to do about it.
Seedlings collapse at the soil line, stems pinched and brown, often within the first 2-3 weeks after germination
Likely Causes
- Damping off (Pythium spp. or Rhizoctonia solani) — both thrive in cold, waterlogged starting mix
- Overwatering combined with poor drainage in seed trays
What to Do
- 1.Water from the bottom only, and let the top of the mix dry slightly between waterings
- 2.Use a sterile seed-starting mix — not garden soil, which carries both pathogens
- 3.Increase airflow around trays with a small fan on low; even 30 minutes a day helps
Stunted plants with distorted, cupped leaves and a sticky residue on stems, appearing from midsummer onward
Likely Causes
- Aster yellows phytoplasma — transmitted by aster leafhoppers (Macrosteles quadrilineatus), not curable once infected
- Aphid colonies (Myzus persicae or Aphis gossypii) feeding on new growth and excreting honeydew
What to Do
- 1.Pull and trash any plant showing aster yellows symptoms immediately — there's no fix and leafhoppers will keep spreading it to neighbors
- 2.For aphids, knock them off with a strong jet of water or apply insecticidal soap directly to colonies; repeat every 5-7 days
- 3.Use row cover over young transplants to reduce leafhopper pressure during the highest-risk window in early summer
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do Tower Chamois flowers last in a vase?▼
Is Tower Chamois a good choice for beginner gardeners?▼
Can Tower Chamois be grown in containers?▼
When should I plant Tower Chamois seeds?▼
What does 'Tower' mean in the variety name?▼
Is Tower Chamois the same as summer aster?▼
Growing Guides from Wind River Greens
Where to Buy Seeds
Sources & References
External authority sources used in compiling this guide.
- BreederJohnny's Selected Seeds
See the Methodology page for how this data is sourced, what's AI-assisted, and known limitations.