Aster microcephalus var. ovatus - "Nokon-Giku" in Japanese have many light purple flowers in my north east yard, where Tricyrtis hirta f. albescens - "Shiro-ban Hototogisu" in Japanese have pure white flowers and Tricyrtis has purple flowers with blood-red dots. These flowers tell you that autumn has visited the garden. What a long period of summer we have suffered this year!