All About Aster

The two most common types of perennial asters are New England and New York. With many varieties of each available, it's often hard to tell them apart. In general, New York asters tend to be shorter plants with thin stems and smooth leaves. New England asters will be taller, bushier plants with thick stems and hairy leaves. Knowing which type you have isn't that important since they both are hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8 and are easy to grow, rugged plants.

However, selecting the right variety is more important. The flower colors can include white, pink, purple, blue and red. The plant size can be 1 to 6 feet tall. Some varieties have good disease resistance. So, it's important to select varieties based on your location, desired flower color and likelihood of disease problems.

The best way to select good varieties for your garden is to see what varieties grow well for friends, family members and neighbors, or to visit local public gardens. Always keep in mind, though, that microclimates created around your house can make a tried and true variety struggle or help a variety to survive. If you remember that asters like full sun, cool temperatures and moist, well-drained soil, you should be all set to try most varieties that are hardy in your area.

Native asters grow anywhere from mountaintops to along the ocean’s coast. If you’re really looking for a native look in asters, consider some of these lesser-used species types. The wood aster tolerates shade better than other asters, grows 4 to 6 feet tall and produces clouds of tiny white flowers. The smooth aster grows to 4 feet tall and is known for good disease resistance. The aromatic aster grows 2 to 4 feet tall, has fragrant leaves and tolerates dry soil better than other aster types. Many of these are considered “wild” asters, even though there are cultivated selections of each. They are good additions to meadows, pollinator gardens, and abandoned areas for their use by native bees, butterflies and pollinators.

In the garden, plant asters in areas to succeed other earlier-blooming perennials or to complement late summer and fall bloomers. Tall varieties make great backdrops to early-blooming peonies, iris, daisies, and salvia. Short varieties are nice companions for low-growing perennials, such as everblooming daylilies and geraniums. Once the summer flowers such as echinacea, rudbeckia and coreopsis finish, asters are happy to take over the flower workload into fall.

To create an even more colorful fall garden, mix asters with other late bloomers such as Russian sage, sedum, goldenrod, and ornamental grasses for a stunning late-season color show. Plant taller asters behind bushier perennials in fall, such as chrysanthemums, to hide any dying lower branches on the asters.

There are many dwarf asters that are low-growing and make good additions to rock gardens and low-perennial borders. Asters can be used in containers as well. Dwarf varieties that only grow less than 1 foot tall make a nice complement to the traditional fall container arrangements. For example, the heath aster 'Snow Furry' produces clouds of white blooms that are pleasing when planted next to bright orange, purple or yellow mums or near ornamental cabbage or kale.