New England aster vs New York aster

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

New England aster

Aster novae-angliae 1.3 m × 80 cm after 10 years

A tall, stiff-stemmed autumn perennial that carries masses of purple, pink or carmine flowers with yellow centres from late August to October, just…

Perennial

Full sun

from about PLN 17

New York aster

Aster novi-belgii 1.2 m × 90 cm after 10 years

A tall, upright perennial that is covered in violet, blue, pink or white daisies from late summer to mid autumn, when little else is in flower, and…

Perennial

Full sun

Part shade

from about PLN 13

Key differences

New York aster: It may be planted in a garden, but it is on the Hungarian list of invasive species: it may not be planted on public ground and can escape from gardens, so plant it only with care, away from natural habitats. Powdery mildew is the main problem: by late summer the leaves are often coated grey and wither from the base up, especially in dry soil and crowded, airless spots.
New England aster grows taller, New York aster spreads wider: 1.3 m × 80 cm and 1.2 m × 90 cm after ten years.
New England aster tolerates drought better than New York aster.

Which one to choose?

New England aster is the safer choice: New York aster can escape from gardens, so plant it only away from natural habitats.

Watch out for

New England aster

The lower third of the stems usually goes bare by late summer, and powdery mildew can appear on dry soil and in crowded, airless spots, though less than on New York aster. Aster wilt and stem rot can occur on heavy, poorly drained soil, and tall cultivars flop after rain without support. It also self-seeds and forms a slowly widening clump. In Central Europe several North American asters have escaped from gardens and become abundant on floodplains; the Hungarian nature conservation list of invasive plants does not name New England aster (asters appear there only at genus level, as Aster spp.), but slowly increasing escapes have been recorded in Hungary too, around abandoned gardens, vineyards and stream banks. So cut off the spent stems and do not dump dug-up clumps or garden waste in the wild.

New York aster

Powdery mildew is the main problem: by late summer the leaves are often coated grey and wither from the base up, especially in dry soil and crowded, airless spots. It spreads by rhizomes and by seed, the clumps need dividing every few years and tall cultivars can flop without support. In Central Europe North American asters have escaped from gardens and formed large stands along rivers and on floodplains, where they crowd out native plants; Hungarian nature conservation counts them among the invasive plants and in Switzerland the species group may not be sold. Cut down the spent stems and never dump dug-up clumps or rhizomes in the wild.

The data side by side

Feature	New England aster	New York aster
Group	Perennial	Perennial
Size after 10 years	1.3 m × 80 cm	1.2 m × 90 cm
Ultimate size	0.9–1.8 m × 60–90 cm	0.9–1.5 m × 30–90 cm
Growth rate	Medium (uncertain)	no data
Light	Full sun	Full sun, Part shade
Soil	Average garden soil, Clay	Average garden soil, Clay, Sandy
Hardiness	down to -34 °C (USDA 4, RHS H7)	down to -34 °C (USDA 4, RHS H7)
Foliage	Deciduous	Deciduous
Flowering	August–October, purple, pink, red	August–October, purple, blue, pink, white
Water need	Medium	Medium
Drought tolerance	Medium	Low
Maintenance	Medium	Medium
Planting distance	60 cm	50 cm
For dogs	Non-toxic (uncertain)	Non-toxic (uncertain)
For cats	Non-toxic (uncertain)	Non-toxic (uncertain)
For children	Non-toxic	Non-toxic
Typical price	approx. PLN 18	approx. PLN 16

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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