Which Aster Fits? My Notes on New England and New York Asters

Why I looked up aster

I wanted to turn the broad name “aster” into something useful for a planting decision. I narrowed my research to New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) and New York aster (Symphyotrichum novi-belgii), using NC State Extension’s individual species profiles.

This is a research note, not a report from growing either plant. My question was simple: what would make me keep one of these asters on a planting shortlist—or rule out the spot?

My main takeaway: check the spot before choosing the name

The shared requirements stood out more than the differences. NC State recommends full sun and moist, well-drained soil for New England aster. Its New York aster profile also favors a sunny location and requires well-drained soil.

That means I wouldn’t treat either name as an answer to a drainage problem. “Moist” and “well-drained” appear together in the guidance; choosing one condition while ignoring the other would change what the source actually recommends.

Here is my comparison, drawn from the New England aster profile and New York aster profile:

What I’d check	New England aster	New York aster
Light	Full sun preferred; partial shade tolerated	Sunny location preferred; some shade tolerated
Soil	Moist, fertile, well-drained soil, including clay loam	Moist, well-drained soil
Listed mature height	3–6 feet	3–5 feet
Additional drainage listing	Includes “Occasionally Dry”	Lists “Good Drainage” and “Moist”

The height ranges overlap substantially. I wouldn’t read this as a tall-versus-short comparison: both profiles describe plants that can reach several feet.

Applying the facts to a hypothetical garden

Assumption: imagine a sunny bed with moist, well-drained soil, but the gardener wants everything below 2 feet so a low window stays unobstructed.

The light and soil descriptions would keep both species under consideration. The height requirement would then remove both from my shortlist: each species profile starts its listed mature-height range at 3 feet. New York aster’s lower maximum doesn’t make it a fit for that particular limit.

That is the distinction I find useful: a plant can match the growing conditions while failing the space requirement. For this hypothetical bed, I’d need separately documented information about another plant or a specific cultivar rather than assuming the species name guarantees a compact choice.

What I looked into next: does “occasionally dry” settle the choice?

New England aster’s profile includes “Occasionally Dry” under soil drainage. That caught my attention because the same page recommends moist, fertile, well-drained soil.

I read those statements together, not as competing instructions. The additional listing is a reason to investigate New England aster further for a spot that sometimes dries out. It is not evidence that it needs no watering, nor does it establish that it outperforms New York aster in dry conditions.

My takeaway is narrower than a winner: identify the species, check the site conditions, and test the documented mature size against the actual space. These profiles help me screen a choice; they don’t establish how either plant will perform in an unassessed garden.