The alpine asters are short, clump-forming perennials, with large daisy flowers, usually pink or pale purple with yellow centres. Their stature and liking for well-drained soil make them obvious rock garden species. They include the European species Aster alpinus, and many other species from North America and Asia.

Aster likiangensis was not easy to track down. Searching this down on the web led to a statement that Aster likiangensis (from Lijiang in China) was a synonym for Aster asteroides (i.e. the one that looks like an aster: true but not helpful). That led to a statement that this was a synonym for Sericocarpus asteroides. That comes from the eastern part of north America - which is rather a long way from western China, botanically as well as geographically. No doubt all will be revealed when it flowers. Meanwhile, expect flat-topped sprays of flowers, each individual flower having a few white rays and yellow centres.