Symphyotrichum novae-angliae Seeds | New England Aster
LATIN NAME: Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
COMMON NAME: New England Aster
Plant Profile
New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) grows as a hardy perennial in the daisy family. The New England aster rises with stout, hairy stems and many daisy-like heads, ray florets in rich purple-pink tones, and the whole plant stands in the tall, bright clumps. It is a plant of open, sunny, deep, moist, well-drained ground. Taken as a whole, it is a plant that repays a little attention many times over.
Science & Biotechnology
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae sits in the daisy family, a group that keeps botanists, horticulturists and plant breeders busy with questions of classification, adaptation and ornamental potential. Interest from collectors and breeders has never lapsed, and good seed continues to circulate.
Uses & Benefits
In the garden, New England Aster earns its place in borders, containers and mixed plantings, and it also rewards growers who raise plants for cutting, drying or kitchen use. The New England aster is a fine, bright plant of border and study collection. It is a fine, bright plant of open, sunny, deep, moist, well-drained garden. Aster seeds like a fine seed compost, kept evenly moist on a cool, bright shelf. Once it has settled, the workload drops to almost nothing.
Asters are the last great feast of the pollinator year, feeding bees and migrating butterflies into autumn; their folk-medicine record is modest, their garden value immense.
Growing from Seed
Raising New England Aster from seed is straightforward. Fill a pot with a light seed compost, sow evenly on the surface, cover thinly and stand it somewhere warm, bright and evenly moist. Move strong seedlings into individual pots, keep them in good light, and set them out when the weather and their size agree.
Our Take
Within its genus it stands out for garden reliability. As a hardy perennial, it settles into a routine quickly once established. It is generous with beginners and their occasional misjudgements.
Related Reading
More species in the same orbit as New England Aster: