Aster
Symphyotrichum spp.
Flowering Plants Difficulty: Easy
📖 About this plant
A quintessential autumn flower that bursts into clouds of daisy-like blooms in purple, pink, and white just as summer flowers fade. A critical late-season nectar source for pollinators including migrating monarch butterflies. The sturdy stems and abundant flowers make it a garden staple for fall color and cutting gardens.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
☀️
Light
Full sun (6+ hrs)
💧
Water
Every 1-2 weeks
💨
Humidity
Moderate (40-60%)
🌡️
Temperature
10-24°C
🪴
Soil
Well-draining loamy soil enriched with organic matter; pH 5.5-7.0 preferred
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Fertilizer
Balanced slow-release fertilizer (10-10-10) in spring; avoid excessive nitrogen which promotes floppy growth
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- North America, Europe, Asia — diverse genera distributed across temperate Northern Hemisphere
- 📏 Max height
- 60-120 cm
- 📐 Spread
- 30-60 cm
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- Late Summer - Fall
- 🎨 Bloom color
- Purple, Pink, White
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Green
- ⏳ Lifespan
- Perennial
- 📈 Growth rate
- Moderate
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Non-toxic to cats, dogs, and humans; generally considered safe
- 🌱 Propagation
- Division every 2-3 years in spring, stem cuttings in early summer, or seed sowing in fall or spring
🛡️ Health & Safety
🐾 Pet safe
✅ Non-toxic
Non-toxic to cats, dogs, and humans; generally considered safe
Common issues
- Powdery mildew on foliage, Aster yellows disease from leafhoppers, Rust fungi
💡 Care tips
- Produces daisy-like flowers in purple pink and white late into fall,Important late-season nectar source for butterflies and bees,Pinch stems in early summer for bushier more compact plants,Divide clumps every 2-3 years to maintain vigor
🪴 Add to My Plants
One click — added instantly. Watering every 11 days, fertilizing every 30 days.
