Bushy aster vs Daylily

Bushy aster and Daylily are often considered for the same spot in the garden (flowers, pollinator friendly, ground cover, container). 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 PLN 16

Daylily

Hemerocallis × hybrida 80 cm × 60 cm after 10 years

Garden daylilies are almost indestructible, long-lived perennials: above a clump of arching, grassy leaves they carry trumpet-shaped flowers for weeks…

Perennial

Full sun

Part shade

from about PLN 13

Key differences

Daylily is highly toxic to cats: even a small amount can be life-threatening. Do not plant it where cats go. Highly toxic to cats: eating any part of the plant (leaves, flowers, even pollen) can cause vomiting, loss of appetite, lethargy and then acute kidney failure, which can be fatal.
Daylily grows larger: 80 cm × 60 cm after ten years, against 40 cm × 50 cm for Bushy aster (an estimate: sources differ).
Daylily tolerates drought better than Bushy aster.
Daylily needs less care than Bushy aster.

Which one to choose?

Bushy aster is the better choice if cats use the garden or space is tight.

Daylily is the better choice if you cannot water regularly or you have little time for care.

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.

Daylily

Larvae of the hemerocallis gall midge develop inside the early buds, which swell, distort and fail to open: pick these off and bin them. In hot, dry weather thrips, spider mites and aphids can disfigure leaves and flowers, and leaf streak may show on the foliage. Daylily rust is a problem in some regions. Flowering is poor in prolonged drought or deep shade, and clumps are best divided every 3 to 4 years.

The data side by side

Feature	Bushy aster	Daylily
Group	Perennial	Perennial
Size after 10 years	40 cm × 50 cm	80 cm × 60 cm (uncertain)
Ultimate size	20–60 cm × 30–75 cm	0.2–1.5 m × 30–90 cm (uncertain)
Growth rate	Medium	Medium (uncertain)
Light	Full sun, Part shade	Full sun, Part shade
Soil	Average garden soil, Clay, Sandy, Calcareous	Average garden soil, Clay
Hardiness	down to -34 °C (USDA 4, RHS H7)	down to -40 °C (USDA 3, RHS H7)
Heat tolerance	High (uncertain)	High
Foliage	Deciduous	Deciduous
Flowering	August–October, purple, pink, blue, white	May–September, yellow, orange, red, pink, purple, white (uncertain)
Water need	Medium	Medium
Drought tolerance	Medium	High
Maintenance	Medium	Low
Planting distance	30 cm	50 cm
For dogs	no data	Non-toxic
For cats	no data	Highly toxic
For children	Non-toxic	Non-toxic
Typical price	approx. PLN 17	approx. PLN 20

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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