New England Aster

Scientific name

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae

Description

New England Aster is a showy perennial wildflower with an average height of about 120 cm but can grow up to 2 m tall. It has a central stem with branching in the upper half covered in fine white hairs. Its leaves clasp these stems as they have no petioles. The basal leaves are spatula-shaped, while the stem leaves are alternate and lance-shaped. The leaves are also covered in soft white hairs. Its showy flowers are clustered at the ends of the central stem and surrounding branches. Each flower is composed of 30+ deep purple ray florets surrounding numerous golden disk florets. These plants excel in moist soils with lots of sun. It is often found along lake shorelines, forest edges, in wet meadows, or in marshes/swamps. New England Aster reproduces and spreads using both achenes, which are dispersed by wind and a rhizomatous root system, allowing this plant to colonize open areas. It is also known to easily colonize recently disturbed areas so could be considered for difficult sites that are hard to grow on. This wildflower species attracts lots of pollinators such as bees and butterflies but rarely attracts wildlife, such as wild turkey, deer, and rabbit.

Details

• Plant height:
  • Max 2m
  • Max 3m
  • Any
• Moisture level:
  • Normal
  • Moist
  • Drought Tolerant
• Light conditions:
  • Full sun
  • Partial sun
• Soil type:
  • Sandy
  • Loamy
  • Clay
  • Humus
• pH:
  • Acidic
  • Normal
• Depth:
  • Wildflower
• Eco Zone:
  • 4a
  • 4b
  • 5a
  • 5b
  • 6a
  • 6b
  • 7a
• Plant type:
  • Wildflower
• Height:
  • 2m