Symphyotrichum novi-belgii

The New York aster , Symphyotrichum novi - belgii , is a showstopper in the recent season garden , taking centre stage as summer flowers fade to store .

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aboriginal to the eastern United States and Canada , with flush that are lavender in the wild , it is one of the most extensively crop aster and varieties are available in a palette of graphic pinks , purples , and crisp whites that light up the landscape painting .

Close up of purple New York Aster flowers at peak bloom.

Asters and petunias make good container companions.

Ourguide to growing astersprovides an overview of specie and cultivation .

The focus of this piece is on how to develop and handle for New York aster specifically .

Ready to dive in ? Here ’s what we ’ll cut through :

Close up of purple New York Aster flowers at peak bloom.

Asters and petunias make good container companions.

What You’ll Learn

Quick Look

Planting

How to Grow

A close up vertical image of New York aster flowers growing in the garden. To the top and bottom of the frame is green and white printed text.

Cultivars to take

Maintenance

generation

Close up of purple New York Aster flowers at peak bloom.

Pests and Disease

Best Uses

Let ’s begin with an overview of the species .

Top down view of New York asters with purple blooms with yellow centers.

What Are New York asters ?

The New York aster was formerly classified in theAstergenus . And while you ’ll still come across it categorize in this way , it was officially transfer to theSymphyotrichumgenus in the 1990s , where it persist .

And while we still call our aboriginal mintage aster , the New York variety also has a soubriquet , the Michaelmas daisy , because it blooms near the Christian fiesta day of Saint Michael on September 29 .

A close up horizontal image of a small flower bud of the New York aster pictured on a soft focus background.

Common name(s):New York aster , Michaelmas daisy

plant life type : Herbaceous efflorescence perennial

Hardiness ( USDA Zone):4 - 8

A horizontal image of a small dwarf New York aster plant with bright pink flowers.

Native to : Canada and United States

Bloom time : Late summertime , other fall

Exposure : Full sun

A close up square image of bright pink Symphyotrichum novi-belgii ‘Alert’ growing in the garden.

Soil case : pretty rich loam , well draining

Soil pH:5.1 - 6.8 , acidulous to slimly acidulous

Spacing : 1 - 3 feet

A close up square image of the blue flowers of Symphyotrichum novi-belgii ‘Professor Kippenburg.'

Planting depth:1/8 inch ( seed ) , depth of root ball ( transplants )

fledged size:1 - 3 feet panoptic x 1 - 6 feet gamey

Water motivation : Moderate

A close up square image of bright woods pink aster flowers pictured on a soft focus background.

Taxonomy

Order : Asterales

house : Asteraceae

Genus : Symphyotrichum

A square image of a large swath of ‘Woods Purple’ asters growing in the garden.

Species : Carota sativus

Cultivars : Novi - belgii

There are three multifariousness of the New York coinage found in the hazardous , S. novi - belgiivar.novi - belgii , S. novi-belgiivar.elodes , andS. novi-belgiivar.villicaule .

A close up horizontal image of a gardener using a small trowel to dig the soil around a large clump of New York asters.

variety share the most significant trait of the metal money but may differ in minor characteristics or localisation , as is the case with the New York species . The first two mixture turn along the sea-coast , and the third is endemical to stream banks along the Maine - Canada border .

S. novi - belgiigrows from one to six feet tall and circulate one to three feet across-the-board in its wild chassis . It is suited to cultivation inUSDA Hardiness Zones4 to 8 .

These plants have a clop development habit , and interchange shaft - shaped leaves line branching stalks . The stems and leaves are generally green to gray - commons but may have a burgundy tint . As they age , the low-toned leaves often turn yellow .

A close up horizontal image of an aster plant suffering from powdery mildew on the foliage pictured on a soft focus background.

The stalks have sidelong branch . Each stalk train one composite flower at its terminal end consisting of a yellow disc of florets surrounded by colored petal - like rays . Like many wild asters , the flowers measure about an inch in diam .

The species name , novi - belgii , means New Belgium , aka New Netherland , the name of present - day New York when it was a Dutch dependency in the 1600s .

New York asters resemblethe New England mintage , S. nova - angliae , but insidious differences are distinguishable to the prepare eye . The independent one is that the New York specie has smooth stems and leaves , and the New England type has haired ones .

A horizontal image of a gardener watering a container filled with a variety of flowers.

However , as observe at the outset , dwelling house garden variety of the New York flowers are usually hybrids , mainly developed by scotch them withbushy asters , S. dumosum , or smooth ones , S. laeve , both of which have hairless leaves and stems .

Starting with a nursery works is an first-class way to ensure that you are get the salmagundi you want , especially if you buy it in tardy summer when it ’s in bloom .

Transplant a seedling , fore cutting off , or nursery plant life in late spring or former fall to avoid damaging Robert Frost and peak summertime heat .

A horizontal image of a large swath of New York asters growing with pink dahlias in the garden.

stead plants in the ground at the same astuteness they were in their original containers to minimize transplant blow .

plant are suited to garden andcontainer cultivationbecause the height variation achieve through crossbreeding make it gentle to choose sure sizing to suit your horticulture needs .

Let ’s look at the idealistic growing conditions to aid your asters expand :

Close up of lavender colored, double petaled New York aster flowers in bloom.

Light

To ensure the best flowering , flora New York asters in full Lord’s Day . They need at least six hours of lineal light day by day .

While they can tolerate some light shadowiness , too much shade will boil down bloom production and can make the plants leggy .

In regions with hot summers , a touch of afternoon shade wo n’t ache .

Soil

The dirt should be organically - rich loam that is both moisture retentive and well - draining , with a pH of 5.1 to 6.8 .

These works can adjust to clay and flaxen soils , and occasional oversaturation and drought .

Temperature and Humidity

Hardy in USDA zone 4 to 8 , New York aster handle a chain of mountains of temperature well . However , they do well in regions with moderate humidity .

overly humid or soaked environment can encourage powdery mold and other fungal issues , peculiarly if flow of air is miserable .

Provide good spacing to promote air circulation and trim down the peril of disease .

Water

Keep the soil systematically moist , especially during dry spells in the growing season .

Once establish , they ’re passably drought tolerant , but even watering will result in more vigorous ontogenesis and better blooms .

forefend overhead lachrymation to avail prevent foliar diseases — soaker hoses or drip irrigation work well here .

Fertilizer

Start with compost - enriched land and , if needed , employ a balanced , tedious - handout fertilizer in early leaping as new growth egress .

quash over - fertilizing — especially with high - N formulas — as this can result in excessive leafy ontogenesis at the expense of efflorescence

Take guardianship to debar allow the granules to touch plant tissue paper , and be sure to water over the fertilizer per package instructions .

Container Growing

New York asters can be grown in containers , though they may need a bit more attention . Choose a peck that ’s at least 12 inch abstruse and broad , with good drainage .

Use a in high spirits - quality potting intermixture and design to irrigate more frequently than you would with in - ground works .

fecundate softly once a month during the turn season and separate container plants every two years to keep them from becoming rootbound .

There are many bright - colourise New York cultivars from which to choose . Each is identified by a botanic name , such asA.novi - belgiiorS. novi - belgii , follow by a cultivar name .

Disease - resistant hybrid offer the best opportunity for success , as this smooth - folio coinage and its cultivars are more prone to fungal shape , like powdery mildew , than their hairy opposite number .

Here are three vibrant choices to turn over :

Alert

Suited to Zones 4 to 9,S. novi - belgii‘Alert ’ is a midget variety with vivid pink heyday often described as red .

Each has a double rowing of luscious ray skirt a copious prosperous disk . Plants have a temperate charge per unit of growth .

‘ Alert ’

Mature heights are a petite 12 to 15 inch with a modest spread of 15 to 18 inches , making this the perfect plant for containers or tidy beds . Leggy stems wo n’t be a job with this eccentric .

‘ rattling ’ plant areavailable from Nature Hills Nursery .

Professor Kippenburg

S. novi - belgii‘Professor Kippenburg ’ is become to zone 3 to 8 . It boasts purple flower heads . And unlike the one - column inch diameter of many aster , the Professor value a generous one to two inches across , with double re and a cheery sum .

‘ Professor Kippenburg ’

tight - produce plants reach a height of 18 to 20 inches and a spread of 12 to 18 inches , making them well - suited to mid - story landscape positioning .

‘ Professor Kippenburg ’ institute areavailable from   Nature Hills Nursery .

Woods Pink

Fast - growingAsterxdumosus‘Woods Pink ’ is a hybrid that grows in geographical zone 4 to 8 and displays semi - double pink blossoms with classic lily-livered gist .

‘ Woods Pink ’

Plants have a tallness and width of 12 to 24 inches for a strong swath of bright low-spirited - profile colour .

‘ forest pinkish ’ plant areavailable from Nature Hills Nursery .

Woods Purple

Asterxdumosus‘Woods Purple ’ is also well - suited to Zones 4 to 8 , where its purple blossoms enrich the transitional landscape with much - needed colour .

‘ Woods Purple ’

Like ‘ Woods Pink , ’ this smorgasbord grows tight and has matured dimensions of 12 to 24 inch marvellous and panoptic , pretend it an excellent choice for bedding .

‘ Woods Purple ’ plants areavailable from Nature Hills Nursery .

Cultivars vary in height but are generally shorter than the six feet a aboriginal metal money can reach .

For those that top out at two foundation or more , prune in other summertime for a bushier , less leggy appearance . In other summer , use cleanprunersto remove one - third of the full height .

Instead of pruning , you could apply string and bamboo or alloy garden stakes to support lanky stems .

Also , crop off damaged , diseased , or pest - infest leaf . compromise plant tissue paper invite pests and diseases . Make a clean cut across an affected stem at a distance of three in from the bottom and discard infest or infected material in the trash .

Weed regularly to eliminate competition for water and meliorate flow of air .

Healthy plants go around via heavyset roots call rootstock as well as ejaculate . It is easy for them to become overcrowded .

To keep adequate air circulation and avoid fungous diseases , divide astersevery three eld .

partitioning make outstanding gift to fellow nurseryman .

Overwintering

After the first hard Robert Lee Frost , cut all stalks down to a height of about two in . expend fair , sharp shears to make smooth cut .

While it ’s nice to have winter interest in the form of picturesque bare stalk and seed heads , a plant so prone to powdery mold as this one should be wholly clear away and throw out to limit winter mold spores .

If you have a fungous outbreak , throw the stalks away instead of position them on the compost mint and debate rotate plant life to a new placement the following class .

broadly speaking apply a two - inch layer of mulch over the cleared area for wintertime insulation and moisture retentiveness .

It ’s easy to start with seed or stem cuttings . Here ’s a prompt overview of each of the methods .

From Seed

you could grow lawful species plant from collected seed , but seed from hybrid produce variable final result that may not resemble the parent plant . Sometimes cross - bred botany produce come that are not feasible , or no seeds at all .

To farm dead on target species from seeds :

From Cuttings

A theme cutting replicates the characteristics of the parent .

Here ’s how to circulate from cut :

or else , dip the bare base in root internal secretion and immerse it four inch deep in a container of potting soil with a depth of at least six inches .

For more elaborated propagation book of instructions here .

Unfortunately , S. novi - belgiiis prone to a server of pests and disease .

Some common pests to be familiar with include :

Plant pollen - rich plants to attractbeneficial insectsthat provender upon plague . you may use neem petroleum , an organic horticultural insecticide , to cover most plague issues .

disease common toS. novi - belgiiare :

A shrewd spray of the hose may dislodge pests . An lotion of organic insecticidal neem oil may also be effective .

Preventative beat , such as not over- or underwatering , help keep fungous conditions at alcove . Some may respond to fungicidal intervention .

One way to inhibit fungal diseases is with generous spacing to accommodate mature dimensions . Leaving one to three foundation of quad between them guarantee that melodic phrase circulates well to dry out wet on the leaves and dirt surface , where mould spores can speedily grow .

And as remark , powdery mold is especially common . However , it in the main strike the leaf and does n’t disrupt blooming .

If you have trouble getting your plants to bloom , check out our aster troubleshooting guide .

Today ’s cultivar tame a grandiloquent wild aster for garden use . gnome varieties make a compact summation to beds and containers , whereas more statuesque versions provide an arresting sight when mass in a monochrome drift or mixed wild flower meadow .

Fellow late - season bloomers – shameful - eyed Susans , coneflowers , goldenrod , joe - pye weed , decorative grasses , andother aster – appear beautiful withS. novi - beglii .

commix them attractively in butterfly stroke , cottage , andcutting garden , where they feed local bee , butterflies , and songbird .

And if you ’ve been searching for tardy - season colour for a piquant , sandy coastal mount or perhaps a moist rock garden , New York aster may be what you ’ve been hoping to recover .

Keep in mind that the lower foliage of asters usually turn scandalmongering and degenerate as the acquire season fall apart on . The placement of shorter flora in front of them helps to hide this natural but often unsightly phenomenon .

I Love New York

Like the lights of the Great White Way , the bold , saturated colour of the New York aster shine in the late summertime to autumn landscape painting , filling the intermezzo with peck of delightfully fulgurant pink , purples , and E. B. White .

After waiting patiently in the wings all summer long , the landscape becomes their stage , provide a foliar backdrop to earliest fuckup .

tally the New York variety to yourgarden contriver . And as the curtain draws to a conclusion for the season , rest assured they ’ll render for an encore carrying out each class for many to come .

And formore information about mature aster in your garden , tally these articles to your meter reading list next :

© demand the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . primitively published May 5th , 2022 . Last update : May 28th , 2025 . Product photo via Nature Hills Nursery . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .

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Nan Schiller