New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)
sim-fee-oh-TRIK-um no-vay-AN-glee-ay

Deciduous Perennial Upright, Clump-Forming in the Asteraceae Family

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae, or New England Aster, is a robust native perennial that provides some of the boldest color in the fall garden. It forms an upright, clump-forming stand of hairy, branching stems typically reaching 3-6 feet tall and 2-3 feet wide, though shorter cultivars are widely available.

From August into October, the plant is covered in daisy-like flower heads about 1-2 inches across, each with 30 or more narrow, deep pink-purple ray florets surrounding a yellow-orange center disk. The display is a magnet for pollinators, especially monarch butterflies fueling up for their fall migration south.

New England Aster is adaptable to a wide range of soils and moisture levels, from dry to consistently wet, and grows best in full sun to partial shade. Its height makes it a good fit for the middle or back of a border, and it can also be used as a specimen or in mass plantings for a striking late-season show.

Pros

  • One of the latest-blooming native perennials, offering vivid color from August into October when most other perennials have finished
  • A critical late-season nectar source for monarch butterflies fueling up for fall migration
  • Long-lived, easy-care native that tolerates both dry and wet soils once established
  • Deer and rabbit resistant

Cons

  • Tall stems can flop or need staking unless pinched back earlier in the season
  • Prolific self-seeder; may need deadheading to control spread in small gardens
  • Lower leaves often yellow and drop by bloom time
  • Susceptible to powdery mildew without good air circulation
Why Like In the wild, New England Aster is one of the last big nectar sources of the year — its purple-pink blooms peak in September and October, right when monarch butterflies are staging and refueling for their long migration south. Wet meadows, roadside ditches, and prairie edges thick with this aster in October are also thick with monarchs, making it one of the best wild plants to watch for fall pollinator activity in the Chicago area.
Highlights One of the best native plants for extending pollinator season into fall, and especially valuable for monarch butterflies fueling up for migration. This species is also the parent of popular compact garden cultivars like 'Purple Dome.'
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 3 - 6 feet tall. 24 - 36 inches wide.
Growth Rate Fast
Sun Exposure Partial Shade - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Dry - Wet
Zones 3a - 8b (Usually hardy to -40° F)
Tags Attracts Butterflies, Deciduous, Dry, Fall Color, Fall interest, Full Sun, Good for Rain Garden, Illinois Native, Medium, Native to North America, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Perennial, Popular For Fall, Wet
Bloom Period August to October
Flower Color Deep Pink-Purple
 

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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 04/03 - 09/20
2024 : 05/01 - 10/05
2023 : 05/04 - 09/30


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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!