New England aster is a must for the sunny border. Long neglected for use in American gardens, Europeans have used it for many years. I use it in a woodland setting in a filtered shaded area to over plant a woodland bed. After the spring ephemerals have gone dormant New England Aster does its thing. The early flowering plants such as trillium and Virginia Bluebells grow right along side it. In the early spring when they are blooming New England aster is just peeking out of the ground.

New England aster is drought tolerant but also naturally grows in wet meadows.  New England aster likes sun but also thrives in filtered shade. It is a very versatile plant. Use it at the back of a border or in the center of a bed garden. The plant grows to about 3 to 4 feet but you can control the height by cutting it back in June.

New England aster is easily propagated from seed. It is an excellent companion to goldenrod, red cardinal flower and white turtlehead. In fact a pretty fall bouquet is goldenrod, red cardinal flower and New England aster, providing the flowers all come from your garden. These plants are also great sources of food for humming birds and butterflies. New England Aster is a larval source for the Pearl Crescent Butterfly.

New England aster tends to loose its lower leaves as bloom time approaches so plant it with shorter plants such as black-eyed Susan, other asters and ferns.