Flower profile

New England aster

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae

New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) is a flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly September–October across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Purple petals around golden centers, blooming just when most other flowers are done for the year. It's a fall favorite for bees and butterflies.

42states where USDA records it

11Bloomipedia state lists include it

32,505U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Vermont, Wisconsin

Fun facts

It's a perennial in the aster family (Asteraceae), native to central and eastern North America. ^Wikipedia
Other names include hairy Michaelmas-daisy and Michaelmas daisy. ^Wikipedia
It blooms from August to November, depending on where it grows. ^Wikipedia
Its seeds and nectar feed birds, bees and butterflies, and long-tongued bumblebees visit it heavily. ^Wikipedia
It usually grows in wet spots, but it also turns up in dry soil and sand. ^Wikipedia
There are roughly 50 cultivars, including the award winners 'Brunswick', 'Helen Picton' and 'James Ritchie'. ^Wikipedia

✨ Did you know?

When it grows close to white heath aster, the two can form a natural hybrid called the amethyst aster. ^Wikipedia

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (4,829 records)

Bloom time in the 11 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Ohio	Native	September–October	5,143
New York	Native	September–October	4,131
Illinois	Native	September–October	3,500
Wisconsin	Native	August–October	3,305
Michigan	Native	September–October	2,681
Minnesota	Native	September–October	2,085
Vermont	Native	September–October	1,504
Indiana	Native	September–October	1,380
Maine	Native	September–October	998
Iowa	Native	September–October	471
New Hampshire	Native	September–October	257

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)

Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}

NatureServe global

G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe

State rare plant lists

Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 10 of our 11 states.

See each state

Ohio: Not listed Not on Ohio endangered and threatened plants (Ohio Adm. Code 1501:18-1-03, eff. Dec. 26, 2024). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Ohio. ^{OAC 1501:18-1-03}
New York: Not listed Not on New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3). NatureServe: S5, secure in New York. ^{6 NYCRR § 193.3}
Illinois: Not listed Not on Illinois List of Endangered and Threatened Flora (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1050), per the Endangered Species Protection Board's 2025 checklist. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Illinois. ^{IL E&T checklist 2025}
Wisconsin: Not listed Not on Wisconsin endangered and threatened species list (Wis. Admin. Code NR 27.03). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Wisconsin. ^{NR 27.03}
Michigan: Not listed Not on Michigan endangered and threatened plants (Mich. Admin. Code R 299.1028, eff. March 20, 2023). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Michigan. ^{R 299.1028}
Minnesota: Not listed Not on Minnesota endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Minn. R. 6134.0300). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Minnesota. ^{Minn. R. 6134.0300}
Vermont: Not listed Not on Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022). NatureServe: S5, secure in Vermont. ^{Vermont E&T list}
Maine: Not listed Not on Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maine. ^{Maine rare plant list}
Iowa: Not listed Not on Iowa endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-77.3). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Iowa. ^{IAC 571-77.3}
New Hampshire: Not listed Not on New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Hampshire. ^{NH Ncr 312}

Indiana

No list Indiana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the DNR keeps a rare plant list, but it isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Indiana ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Indiana.

Rare elsewhere

Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: CO (S2), GA (S1), OK (SH), SC (S1), WY (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension, ASPCA) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

We couldn't find a New England aster entry in the ASPCA plant database.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records New England aster in 42 states plus Washington, D.C.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming; District of Columbia.

Ohio counties with USDA records: Adams, Allen, Ashland, Ashtabula, Athens, Auglaize, Brown, Butler, Carroll, Champaign, Clark, Clermont, Clinton, Columbiana, Coshocton, Crawford, Cuyahoga, Darke, Erie, Fairfield, Fayette, Franklin, Fulton, Gallia, Geauga, Greene, Guernsey, Hamilton, Hancock, Harrison, Henry, Highland, Hocking, Holmes, Huron, Jackson, Jefferson, Knox, Lake, Lawrence, Licking, Logan, Lorain, Lucas, Madison, Mahoning, Marion, Medina, Meigs, Mercer, Miami, Montgomery, Morgan, Morrow, Muskingum, Noble, Ottawa, Paulding, Perry, Pickaway, Pike, Portage, Putnam, Richland, Ross, Sandusky, Scioto, Seneca, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Union, Van Wert, Vinton, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wood, Wyandot.

New York counties with USDA records: Albany, Allegany, Bronx, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chenango, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Dutchess, Erie, Essex, Fulton, Greene, Herkimer, Jefferson, Kings, Livingston, Madison, Nassau, New York, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orange, Oswego, Otsego, Putnam, Queens, Rensselaer, Richmond, Rockland, Schenectady, Schoharie, St. Lawrence, Suffolk, Tompkins, Ulster, Washington, Westchester.

Illinois counties with USDA records: Adams, Bond, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Calhoun, Carroll, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Coles, Cook, Crawford, De Witt, DeKalb, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lawrence, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Mercer, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Pope, Putnam, Randolph, Richland, Rock Island, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, St. Clair, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Union, Vermilion, Wabash, Warren, Wayne, Whiteside, Will, Williamson, Winnebago, Woodford.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Aster novae-angliae, Lasallea novae-angliae, Virgulus novae-angliae.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 836 counties across 39 states; the most are in Illinois (89), Ohio (80), Indiana (64).

Other Symphyotrichum on Bloomipedia (3): Southern annual saltmarsh aster, Heath aster, Late purple aster.

More from the Asteraceae family (212 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Common yarrow, Goldenrods, White snakeroot, Sunflowers, Chicory, Black-eyed Susan, Bull thistle, Common dandelion.

More Ohio flowers

White snakeroot

Ageratina altissima

Native

🌼 Blooms in OH: August–October

Chicory

Cichorium intybus

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in OH: June–September

Wingstem

Verbesina alternifolia

Native

🌼 Blooms in OH: August–September

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile SYNO2.
iNaturalist, Symphyotrichum novae-angliae: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (facts restated in our own words).
State rare and invasive plant lists (21):
Show all 21 state lists
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Bernie Paquette via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.