Dig into Plants: New England Aster

New England Aster Other Common Names: New England American-aster Scientific Name: Symphyotrichum novae-angliae Native to Alabama: Yes Alternate Native Species: Drummond's Aster (Symphyotrichum drummondii) Short's Aster (Symphyotrichum shortii)
	Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center James L. Reveal Click on image to enlarge it

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Basic Plant Information
	I am a vascular plant with no woody stems above ground, so I am herbaceous. I do not keep leaves year-round, so I am deciduous. I die back in winter but regrow in spring for many seasons, so I am perennial. I can grow 3 - 6 feet high and 2 - 3 feet wide.
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Albert F W Vick Click on image to enlarge it

Ecological Benefits


This plant provides food for:

Butterflies	Caterpillars	Native Bees	Other Birds
	Pearl Crescent Checkerspot Butterflies

Other Plants Found in Alabama with Similar Ecological Benefits:
Broad-leaved Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium)	Drummond’s Aster (Symphyotrichum drummondii)	Rice Button Aster (Symphyotrichum dumosumi)


White Heath Aster (Symphyotrichum ericoides)	Calico Aster (Symphyotrichum lateriflorum)	Skyblue Aster (Symphyotrichum oolentangiense)


Willowleaf Aster (Symphyotrichum praealtum)	Smooth Blue Aster (Symphyotrichum laeve)

Maintenance Notes
Dormant in winter. Flowers can be cut for an indoor vase. Crown division plant in the spring or fall to encourage new growth. Deadhead individual faded flowers to encourage additional bloom. When watering, hold hose to base of plant for a count of 5 seconds. Water should reach all roots. Avoid sprinkling water on the leaves. Requires moist to wet soil at all times.
Moist to wet soil at all times: water three times per week.

Habitat Requirements

This plant prefers:
Full Sun (6+ hours of sun per day) Part Sun/ Shade (2-6 hours of sun per day)	Prefers moist to wet soil at all times	Well-drained, Sandy, Loamy, Clay, Acidic or Moist Soil

Leaf, Flower & Seed Identification

LEAF DESCRIPTION				Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center James L. Reveal Click on image to enlarge it
Leaf Characteristics Chart (PDF)

Shape: Lanceolate	Margin: Entire/Smooth	Arrangement: Alternate	Form: Simple


Description:
Hairy; broad base and pointy tips


FLOWER DESCRIPTION			Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Julie Makin Click on image to enlarge it
Flower Shapes Chart (JPG)

Color: Pink, purple	Shape: Radiate/Ligulate	Bloom Months: Aug - Oct

Description:
Each flower on individual stalk; flower head is about 1.5 inches wide with 40 or more bright petal-like ray flowers around a central yellow disk



SEED DESCRIPTION			Seeds of Stoke's Aster davesgarden.com - MyGardens2009 Click on image to enlarge it

Type: Fruit - Dry Seed Pod	Description: Papery-brown bracts surround nutlets	Months in Seed: Late Fall/Winter

Plant spreads by:
Seeds and Rhizomes/ Tubers/ Roots & Shoots Will spread via roots to form new clumps or via seed

Plant Life Cycle

Plant Life Cycle:

All plants start life as a seed.
The seed turns into a sprout when it grows roots.
The sprout becomes a seedling as grows a stem and leaves above the ground.
After the seedling becomes an adult plant it will grow flowers.
After the flowers finish blooming, each flower turns into a seed.
When the seeds fall down to the ground, the plant life cycle starts again.
Each seed can become a plant if it has the food, water and space that it needs to grow.

General Plant Life Cycle - Dreamstime
Click on image to enlarge it

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS

Quick Fact Sheet
(Condensed Species Info)

Plant ID Sign:
Ready as-is PDF

Plant ID Sign:
Editable Word Doc

QR Code
(Links to this Webpage)

INFORMATION SOURCES FOR THIS PLANT

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center's Plant Database		North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Alabama Plant Atlas		Missouri Botanical Garden
USDA Plants Database		Prince William Conservation Alliance

Alabama Outdoor Classroom Conservation Education Programs