New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)

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New England aster

Habit (mature) · The Cosmonaut / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.5 CA

Limited coverage

New England aster

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae

A late-blooming native perennial with purple daisy flowers that fuel fall pollinators when other plants are fading.

Native: 42 US states + 6 CA provinces

Review: Source-backed

Climate fit: moderate (63/100)

Pollinator

Filler

Light

Full sun / Part sun

Water

Moderate water

Mature size

36-84" tall · 24" apart

Hardy in zones

4a-8b

very cold to frosty winters

Summer heat range

Mild-Warm

mild to warm summers Interim Plotwright tier until the plant AHS range is authored.

Native in Illinois

Yes

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A documented larval host for the Pearl crescent — caterpillars feed on its foliage before becoming the next generation.

Wildlife relationships

Cold hardiness

Now

Zone 6b

USDA

Chicago, IL · 1991-2020 average annual coldest day

Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer

Well-suited

2050

Zone 7b

Plotwright

Your zone + climate-model shift · SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry)

Well-suited

In plain terms: cold winters — coldest nights typically around -3°F.

✓

Well-suited today and still thriving in 2050.

Heat tolerance

°C

°F

Loading current AHS heat-zone and plant heat-fit data at your coordinates…

Where this plant fits

Suitable across 40 ecoregions — 35 climate-resilient through 2070 · 5 suited today. Best matches first.

Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests

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Appalachian-Blue Ridge forests

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Arizona Mountains forests

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Blue Mountains forests

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Canadian Aspen forests and parklands

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Central Pacific Northwest coastal forests

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Central Tallgrass prairie

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Central-Southern Cascades Forests

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Colorado Rockies forests

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Cross-Timbers savanna-woodland

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Pollination

Self-incompatible

Self-incompatible — flowers cannot fertilize themselves and require pollen from a genetically distinct plant of the same species to produce viable seed. In practice, mass plantings (or proximity to wild populations) provide abundant seed via cross-pollination; isolated single plants produce little. Heavy late-season nectar source for bees and migrating butterflies (especially monarchs fueling fall migration).

Bloom timing

Late bloom

Plants don't grow alone

Larval host

Butterfly

Pearl crescent (Phyciodes tharos)

BAMONA documents Phyciodes tharos larvae on Symphyotrichum asters including New England aster (S. novae-angliae).

Nectar forage

Specialist

Bee

Common eastern bumblebee (Bombus impatiens)

Critical late-season nectar source for late-summer bumblebees building reserves before winter dormancy; aster pollen is what some Bombus queens carry into hibernation.

Nectar forage

Butterfly

Common buckeye (Junonia coenia)

Adult common buckeyes nectar on asters (Symphyotrichum); New England aster (S. novae-angliae) is documented adult forage (Mass Audubon Butterfly Atlas).

Nectar forage

Butterfly

Painted lady (Vanessa cardui)

UW-Madison Horticulture names New England aster as an adult painted lady (Vanessa cardui) nectar plant.

Nectar forage

Bee

American bumblebee (Bombus pensylvanicus)

Symphyotrichum asters are a common late-season Bombus nectar source; genus/family-level inference for this generalist, no B. pensylvanicus-specific citation.

Nectar forage

Fly

Hover flies (flower flies) (Syrphidae)

Nectar forage

Bee

Rusty-patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis)

Nectar forage

Butterfly

Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus)

Late-season nectar fuel for migrating monarchs heading toward Mexican overwintering grounds.

Nectar forage

Bee

European honeybee (Apis mellifera)

Pollen forage

Bee

Long-horned bees (Melissodes spp.)

Seed forage

Bird

American goldfinch (Spinus tristis)

For people

Not eaten by humans

New England aster is grown as a late-season ornamental and pollinator plant, not as food. The genus Symphyotrichum has many similar-looking species that are difficult to distinguish without flowering material; any food or tea claims for "asters" generally need species-level identification that is unreliable for non-experts. Safer framing: not food.

Traditional medicinal use

Some Symphyotrichum species were used by Indigenous peoples of eastern North America as topical preparations and as smoke ingredients; modern identification of which exact species was used is uncertain and food use is not established.

Appears in collections

+4

Collection · 8 plants

Climate-resilient natives for warming zones (eastern NA)

A pollinator-supporting palette of eastern NA natives whose USDA zone range and broad continental distribution score high on the climate-resilience composite. Every plant tolerates 6-7 USDA zones and is native across 15+ US states + multiple Canadian provinces. Holds up under the SSP3-7.0 mid-century projection without the gardener trading wildlife value for resilience.

Switchgrass

Little bluestem

Common milkweed

Black-eyed Susan

Wild bergamot

Sweet Joe-Pye weed

Cutleaf coneflower

New England aster

Sources & citations

Cite this page

For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.

Plotwright. (2026, May 17). New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae). Retrieved 2026, June 5, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/new-england-aster

Sources for every fact

Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited — 18 source-backed.

NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

University extension service

Backs 17 fields

Identity

Summary

Plant type

Light

Moisture

Hardiness

Heat zone

Size

Spacing

Habit

Design roles

Seasonal interest

Growth stages

Lifecycle

Regional guidance

Success tips

Designer notes

Wikimedia Commons

Photo · CC BY-SA 2.5 CA

Backs 1 field

Image

Community photos

The photos above are our reviewed reference set, curated for accuracy.