New York Aster

New York Aster is a classic late-season native perennial, producing masses of daisy-like violet-blue, purple, pink, or occasionally white flowers from late summer into fall. Upright stems develop into substantial flowering clumps that pair especially well with goldenrods, grasses, and other meadow species.

Naturally associated with shores, marsh margins, and other moisture-retentive habitats of eastern North America, it performs best in sun and medium to wet soil. New York Aster is particularly valuable ecologically: butterflies and native bees visit its flowers, songbirds benefit from its seeds, and the species serves as a larval host for butterflies including pearl crescents and silvery checkerspots.

• Grow in full sun to partial sun with medium to wet soil and good air circulation.
• Cutting stems back by roughly one-third in late spring can produce shorter, bushier plants and reduce flopping.