Thanks for the comments re aster frikarti. It seems there is no visible difference in the plants no matter what people claim. A couple of people commented that the difference is supposed to indicate that it stands up more upright. Strangely I have never really suffered with a floppiness anyway. Perhaps it is the climate??? Something that has bugged me for years is the information about tweedia. The RHS dictionary says it twines to 90cm and various descriptions invariably involve climbing. Has anyone seen anything of that description with tweedia??? Mine just have 25cm or so long stalks which never look in the least as though they want to twine. Is this a case of everyone copying the first description?? Does anyone know more than one tweedia? The only one I know has a very distinctive ice blue flower. Thanks in advance. Sue Templeton whose tweedia began to flower today and whose aster frikartis are doing splendidly.