2nd year New England asters, seed grown in 2024. Photos showing spring 2025 emergence. Ready to go and plant in the ground!

Asters like those in the Symphyotrichum genus are keystone species. They host at least 15 species of caterpillars and 33 pollen specialist bees. Some of the species this aster hosts include Saddleback Caterpillar (Acharia stimulea), Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos), Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nyceteis), Cucullia caterpillars (Cucuillias spp.), Flower Moths (Schinia spp.), Striped garden Caterpillar (Trichordestra legitima).

Many of them are also favored by white-tailed deer. New England aster is one of the ones that you’d need to protect while getting it established so it can naturalize.

More elaborate description will come soon, once I get things listed. Check attributes below for specifics.

Family	Asteraceae
Container Size	3QT
Growth Cycle	perennial
Maximum Height	< 6ft
Maximum Width	2-3ft
Growth Rate	fast
Lighting Requirements	sun to part sun
Heliophily	9
Soil Moisture	moist/medium, well-drained, occasionally dry, mesic, occasionally wet, medium wet
Wetland Indicator	FACW
Soil Texture	clay, clay loam, high organic matter, loam, loamy sand, sandy clay, sandy clay loam, sandy loam, silty clay, silty clay loam, silty loam
Soil pH	acidic, acidic-neutral, neutral, neutral-alkaline
Maintenance	I Will Survive
USDA Hardiness Zone	hardy to 4a
Ecoregion	35 South Central Plains, 36 Ouachita Mountains, 37 Arkansas Valley, 38 Boston Mountains, 39 Ozark Highlands, 40 Central Irregular Plains, 45 Piedmont, 47 Western Corn Belt Plains, 48 Lake Agassiz Plain, 49 Northern Minnesota Wetlands, 50 Northern Lakes and Forests, 51 North Central Hardwood Forests, 52 Driftless Area, 53 Southeastern Wisconsin Till Plains, 54 Central Corn Belt Plains, 55 Eastern Corn Belt Plains, 56 Southern Michigan/Northern Indiana Drift Plains, 57 Huron/Erie Lake Plains, 58 Northeastern Highlands, 59 Northeastern Coastal Zone, 60 Northern Appalachian Plateau, 61 Erie/Ontario Drift And Lake Plains, 62 North Central Appalachians, 63 Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain, 64 Northern Piedmont, 65 Southeastern Plains, 66 Blue Ridge, 67 Ridge & Valley, 68 Southwestern Appalachians, 69 Central Appalachians, 70 Western Allegheny Plateau, 71 Interior Low Plateaus, 72 Interior River Valleys and Hills, 73 Mississippi Alluvial Plain, 74 Mississippi Valley Loess Plains, 82 Acadian Plains and Hills, 83 Eastern Great Lakes and Hudson Lowlands, 84 Atlantic Coastal Pine Barrens
Native Habitat	anthropogenic, bottomland thicket, bottomland woodland edge, riparian, sloped woodland edge, thicketed slope, upland meadow, upland thicket, upland woodland edge, wet meadow, wetland, woodland bottomland, woodland slope, woodland upland
NatureServe Global Rank	G5 – secure
NatureServe National Rank	N5 – secure in the US
NatureServe State Rank	S5 – secure in PA
Sociability Index	level 4 – large patches
Bloom Color	magenta, purple, violet
Bloom Time	AUG, SEP
Attracts	bees, butterflies, insects, moths, pollinators, songbirds, wildlife
Benefit To Habitat	bird food, caterpillar host, keystone, nectar, nesting material, pollen, pollen specialist
Tolerates	black walnut (juglone), clay soil, deer tolerant, ponding
Ornamental Features	attractive seed-heads, long-bloomer, showy flowers
Ethnobotanical	cut flower, medicinal
Garden Theme	butterfly garden, cottage garden, pollinator garden, rain garden, children's garden, woodland garden, wild garden, container garden
Suggested Use	background layer, borders, container, mass planting, naturalize, pond edge, stormwater basin, vernal pool
Judgy Judy Factor	Never let anyone tell you that you can't do something.

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New Engalnd Aster

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Important!

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New Engalnd Aster

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