Bushy aster vs Japanese aster

Bushy aster and Japanese aster are often considered for the same spot in the garden (flowers, pollinator friendly, ground cover). The data below shows where they differ: size, hardiness, care, toxicity and price.

Bushy aster

Aster dumosus 40 cm × 50 cm after 10 years

A low, dense, cushion-forming perennial that is smothered in purple, pink, blue or white yellow-centred daisies from late summer to mid-autumn, when…

Perennial

Full sun

Part shade

from about CZK 49

Japanese aster

Aster ageratoides 70 cm × 60 cm after 10 years

A very tough, late-flowering aster: from late summer until the frosts it is covered in a haze of pale lilac, white or pinkish flowers, in sun or…

Perennial

Full sun

Part shade

from about CZK 71

Key differences

Japanese aster grows larger: 70 cm × 60 cm after ten years, against 40 cm × 50 cm for Bushy aster (an estimate: sources differ).
Japanese aster grows faster than Bushy aster.
Bushy aster is hardier: down to -34 °C, against -23 °C for Japanese aster.
Japanese aster needs less care than Bushy aster.
Japanese aster is cheaper: about CZK 71 at the size usually planted, against about CZK 120 for Bushy aster.

Which one to choose?

Bushy aster is the better choice if space is tight or the garden is cold or a frost pocket.

Japanese aster is the better choice if you want quick results, you have little time for care or price matters.

Watch out for

Bushy aster

Its main problem is powdery mildew: in the warm, dry late summers of Central Europe the leaves often get a white powdery coating, turn brown from the base and drop, especially when the clump is congested, the soil dries out or it has had too much nitrogen. Choose a resistant cultivar, plant it in an open, sunny spot, water the base and not the leaves in dry spells, and thin and divide crowded clumps. Aster wilt also occurs, where single shoots suddenly wither; remove such a plant and do not replant asters in the same spot. Without division it tires within a few years and flowers less.

Japanese aster

In good soil the rhizomes run quickly and crowd out weaker perennials. Powdery mildew can appear in persistently hot, dry spots, although it is far more resistant than Michaelmas daisies. Slugs and snails may chew the young shoots.

The data side by side

Feature	Bushy aster	Japanese aster
Group	Perennial	Perennial
Size after 10 years	40 cm × 50 cm	70 cm × 60 cm (uncertain)
Ultimate size	20–60 cm × 30–75 cm	0.4–1 m × 30–60 cm (uncertain)
Growth rate	Medium	Fast
Light	Full sun, Part shade	Full sun, Part shade
Soil	Average garden soil, Clay, Sandy, Calcareous	Average garden soil, Clay, Sandy, Calcareous
Hardiness	down to -34 °C (USDA 4, RHS H7)	down to -23 °C (USDA 6, RHS H7)
Heat tolerance	High (uncertain)	Medium (uncertain)
Foliage	Deciduous	Deciduous
Flowering	August–October, purple, pink, blue, white	August–November, purple, white, pink
Water need	Medium	Medium
Drought tolerance	Medium	Medium
Maintenance	Medium	Low
Planting distance	30 cm	40 cm
For dogs	no data	Non-toxic (uncertain)
For cats	no data	Non-toxic (uncertain)
For children	Non-toxic	Non-toxic
Typical price	approx. CZK 120	approx. CZK 71

Prices are rounded, indicative values. Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor. Data updated: October 17, 2026

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