Parcel
No. 10$4.50 New England Aster
Illustration of the No. 10 New England Aster seed packet: a kraft envelope with the Missouri Native Series stamp label and a SOW DEC–FEB postmark on the front, and the growing directions and label details on the back.
The packet

No. 10 in the Missouri Native Series

New England Aster

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae

Missouri Native Series No. 10. Violet-purple fall daisies that feed monarchs on their way south. Blooms September–October.

$4.50packet

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  • Missouri native seed, packed for 2027
  • Postmarked to sow December to February, outdoors (winter sowing)
  • Grow Guarantee: if it doesn't come up after you follow the guide, we'll send a replacement

Monarchs pour through Missouri on their way to Mexico, with peak numbers in mid-September, and New England aster is one of the flowers they stop for. The Missouri Department of Conservation suggests looking for them sipping nectar on its blooms.

Its violet-purple daisies with yellow centers open from late August into October and feed bees, butterflies and skippers getting ready for winter. It’s also the host plant for the pearl crescent butterfly, and wild turkeys eat the seeds.

It grows wild in moist prairies and bottomlands across most of the state. Tall and generous, it likes a little moisture and a trim in early summer to stay compact. Each packet is hand-filled in St. Charles County, Missouri.

Good to know

  • Tall. Pinch it back before mid-August to keep it compact; pinching delays bloom a little.

How to grow

  1. Pick the spot. Full sun to light shade, in soil that stays fairly moist. The back of a bed suits its height.
  2. Sow in winter. Between November and February, press the tiny seed onto bare soil or into a winter-sowing jug; barely cover it. See our winter sowing guide.
  3. Or use the fridge. Chill the seed in damp sand for 60 days, then sow after the last frost. Here’s the fridge method.
  4. Water the first year. It likes steady moisture.
  5. Pinch for a bushier plant. Grow Native! suggests pinching stems back three or four times before August 15 to keep plants compact. Pinching delays bloom a little.
  6. Leave seed heads for winter. Birds use them, and the stems give insects a place to overwinter.

Good neighbors

Species from the series that grow well alongside New England Aster:

Questions

Is New England aster good for monarchs?

Yes, as fall fuel. Peak monarch numbers pass through Missouri in mid-September, and the Missouri Department of Conservation suggests looking for them on New England asters. Migrating monarchs need plenty of nectar to build fat reserves for the trip (USDA Forest Service).

It gets too tall and flops. What can I do?

Pinch or cut the stems back in early summer. Missouri Wildflowers Nursery suggests cutting by about a third in early summer; Grow Native! suggests pinching three or four times before August 15.

Do deer eat asters?

They can. MDC notes deer eat the foliage, and Prairie Moon says most asters are loved by deer and rabbits. Protect young plants for the first year or two.

Will it self-seed?

It can, prolifically on some sites (Prairie Moon). Cut a portion of the seed heads if you want fewer seedlings, and leave the rest for the birds.

Sources for these facts