Plant Story--New England Aster, Symphyotrichum novae-angliae

The New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae aster family, Asteraceae) is very widespread; in North America it is found from the Atlantic to the Pacific, missing only very dry states like Nevada. Distribution maps show it as native across all that range, but it is an attractive plant that was brought into gardens long ago and may have escaped and naturalized. 

New England aster 

Settlers arriving from Europe recognized the American plants as similar to plants in Europe and called them asters. The New England aster was discovered in New England and named for New England; it was only later that people found it in Pennsylvania, Quebec, Iowa, Mississippi, and Kansas to name a few of the states and provinces in its range. The Flora of Nebraska says Nebraska is the far western edge of its range. The Flora of North America says that it has escaped cultivation, rather than being native, in Wyoming, Montana, Utah, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. The Flora of Colorado hedges, suggesting it may be native in the Denver-Boulder area, but likely has also escaped from cultivation. A number of tallgrass prairie species are found in the South Platte River basin in Colorado (Denver-Boulder area), having apparently followed the river west, so its not unreasonable for the New England aster. 

In the late 1990s, intense study determined that the American asters were too different from their European relatives to be included in the same genus, so they created the genus Symphyotrichum for them. Today, the genus Aster is Old World, the genus Symphyotrichum is New World, but both use the common name aster. (Botanical wits have long noted that this name change was a dis-aster.)

Asters are the plants after which the really big plant family Asteraceae is named. In addition to the New England aster, North America has 70 other aster species (Symphyotrichum) plus one or two introduced and naturalized Aster species. 

The diverse American asters have flower heads from white to blue to purple to pink petals, with yellow florets in the center. New England aster is the most common and widespread one with dark rose to deep purple flowers. New England asters also have more ray florets--the outside florets with a petal--around the outside than other American asters. 

New England aster, Symphyotrichum novae-anglicae

The name aster is the word "star" in Latin, a reference to the shape of the flower heads (what we see as flowers are actually flower heads, tight groups of small flowers). The species epithet "novae-angliae" is writing "New England" in Latin. Symphyotrichum combines trichos "hairs" with symphsis "junction," a descriptive characteristic used in the original description of Symphyotrichum by Nees in the first scientific description of a Symphyotrichum, from cultivated plants growing in Europe. (Christian Gottfried Daniel Nees von Esenbeck, 1776-1858 link).

The plants are usually just called New England asters, but Michaelmas daisy is also give as the common name, although that name is shared with Symphyotrichum novibelgii, also called the New York aster. 

They flower from August until frost, so are a wonderful late-season garden plant. In addition to being a beautiful garden addition, asters are important sources of food for migrating butterflies and for pollinators generally, since by September most plants are developing their seeds, not opening new flowers. 

New England aster is a very valuable plant for supporting native lepidoptera; it is the host plant to the pearl crescent butterfly (Phyciodes tharos) and the Canadian conia moth (Sonia canadana) plus another 40 species, depending on where you are. At least thirty-six different species of native solitary bees forage on it, including some that are quite narrow in their diets and increasingly rare. New England aster is attractive to bumblebees and honeybees, butterflies, moths, and flies as well.  A veritable garden star.

New England asters

New England asters do not appear among the medicinal plants used by settlers that I could check, but the Cherokee made a poultice of the roots for pain, the Iroquois made a decoction for fevers and the Meskwaki burned the plant to make a smudge to wake an unconcious patient. (And more, see Moerman link in references). 

New England aster also featured in Native American charms: before a hunt, it was added to pipes that hunters smoked to attract game, and other Iroquios used it as a love medicine. 

New England aster is a beautiful native American wildflower. Its range is probably only the eastern 2/3 of North America but even outside its native range, its flowers are important food for pollinators. Native insects that feed on other asters will generally feed on it as well. If you are in the West, don't let it get away to be a weed problem, but enjoy it if you have it.  Elsewhere, notice it and consider growing it.

Comments and corrections welcomed.

References

Ackerfield, J. 2024. Flora of Colorado. 2nd edition. BRIT Press, Fort Worth, Texas. 

Brouillet, L, J. C. Semple, G. A. Allen, K. L. Chambers, and S. D. Sundberg. 2020. Symphyotrichum Nees. Flora of North America. online link  Accessed 10/7/25.

Brouillet, L, J. C. Semple, G. A. Allen, K. L. Chambers, and S. D. Sundberg. 2020. Symphyotrichum novae-angliae. Flora of North America. online link  Accessed 10/7/25.

Cornell Botanic Gardens. New England aster. link

Kaul, R. B., D. M. Sutherland and S. B. Rohlfsmeier. 2011. Flora of Nebraska. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln NE. 

Moerman, D. E. 1999. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press. Portland, Oregon. online link (accessed 10/10/25; book has Aster, data base online has Symphyotrichum)

North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. No date given. Symphyotrichum ericoides. North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. link meaning of Symphyotrichum, accessed 10/7/25

Stearn, W. T. 1997. Stearn's Dictionary of Plant Names for Gardeners. Cassell Publications, London. (too old for Symphyotrichum!)

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae. USDA Plants database. Accessed 107/25

Wild Cherry Farm. New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae). link 

Kathy Keeler, A Wandering Botanist
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