Garden centers fill with pots of mums each fall, but they are not the only way to bring flowers into the yard as summer color fades. New England aster offers masses of purple, pink, or violet blooms late in the growing season, then returns from the same roots after winter. Plant it in the right spot once, and you can get another fall display next year without buying another round of seasonal pots.
New England aster, or Symphyotrichum novae-angliae, is a North American native perennial. Its daisy shaped flowers also provide late season food for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators when fewer plants remain in bloom.
Flowers arrive when summer color starts fading
New England aster saves much of its show for late summer and fall.
Plants produce clusters of flowers with narrow petals surrounding yellow centers. Purple and violet are common, though cultivars also come in pink and other shades.
That timing makes asters useful around fading summer perennials. Instead of losing most of the bed’s color as temperatures fall, you get another wave of flowers.
Unlike seasonal mums, it returns
Many potted mums sold for fall displays are treated as temporary decorations. They spend a few weeks beside the front door, then disappear after frost.
New England aster is built for another growing season.
It is a hardy perennial across a broad part of the country. Once established within its suitable growing range, the roots survive winter and send up new stems in spring.
The plant then grows through summer before flowering again toward the end of the season.
Give it enough sun
Choose a spot with full sun for the strongest flowering.
New England aster can handle some shade, but fewer hours of direct sun can mean fewer flowers and weaker stems.
It also needs room. The straight species can become tall, so check the mature size of the cultivar before putting it at the front of a small flower bed.
Compact cultivars offer the same fall color in less space.
Pinching can keep tall plants under control
If your aster starts stretching higher than you want, cut or pinch back the growing tips before midsummer.
That encourages branching and can create a bushier plant with less need for support later in the season.
Stop cutting well before buds need to develop. Late pruning can remove the growth responsible for the fall flowers.
Pollinators get something from the swap too
Fall flowers aren’t just filling an empty spot in the garden.
Late season nectar becomes important as summer blooms disappear. Asters can attract bees and butterflies during this transition.
Leaving some spent flower heads after blooming also extends the plant’s role beyond its fall display.
Mums can still earn a place on the porch, but they aren’t the only option for fall color. Give New England aster sun, enough room to grow, and a permanent spot in the bed. When next fall arrives, the flowers can come back without another trip to the garden center.