Lasallea novae-angliae (L.) Semple & L. Brouillet
Virgulus novae-angliae (L.) Reveal & Keener
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (L.) G.L. Nesom
New England aster
New England aster is native to most of North America. They are usually among the more brightly colored asters.
Plants: Up to 4′ (1.2 m) high. Stems are erect, strong, and sparsely hairy.
Leaves: Alternate, hairy, spatula-shaped, lanceolate or oblong, with their bases slightly wrapped around the stem (”clasping”). They are usually smooth, but may have shallow teeth, and are ¾–3 ⨉ ⅛–⅞″ (2–8 cm ⨉ 5–25 mm).
Flowers: Attractive flowers occur in dense, highly branched clusters atop the plants. Each flower is ¾–1½″ (1.9–3.8 cm) around, and consists of a yellow-orange disk flower in the center, surrounded by 45-100 thin ray flowers that are deep, vibrant purple, pale purple, or pink. They flower from August to September.
Fruits: Seeds, technically cypselae, are dull purple or brown, oblong, 1/16–⅛ ⨉ ~1/32″ (1.8–3 ⨉ 0.6–1 mm), with 7-10 nerves. Seeds have tufts of hair and are distributed by the wind.
Habitats: Full to partial sun, in meadows, prairies, preferring sandy or loamy soils.
See our aster comparison table here.
Medical: Plants may cause a contact dermatitis.
Online References:
References:
Clemants, Steven; Gracie, Carol, Wildflowers in the Field and Forest, Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 20
Aster novae-angliae L.
Lasallea novae-angliae (L.) Semple & L. Brouillet
Virgulus novae-angliae (L.) Reveal & Keener
Lasallea novae-angliae (L.) Semple & L. Brouillet
Virgulus novae-angliae (L.) Reveal & Keener
9/28/2013 · Wild Gardens of Acadia, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine · ≈ 6 × 8″ (14 × 20 cm) 
9/16/2016 · Sieur de Monts Botanical Gardens, Bar Harbor, Maine 
5/21/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 4 × 3½″ (9.9 × 9.6 cm) 
9/24/2010 · Nissitissit River Wildlife Management Area, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 3½ × 3″ (9.8 × 7.9 cm) 
9/16/2016 · Sieur de Monts Botanical Gardens, Bar Harbor, Maine 
9/28/2013 · Wild Gardens of Acadia, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine · ≈ 7 × 4″ (16 × 10 cm) 
10/17/2016 · Mt. Greylock, Lanesborough, Massachusetts · ≈ 5 × 8″ (13 × 20 cm) 
9/24/2011 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 4″ (14 × 11 cm) 
10/17/2016 · Mt. Greylock, Lanesborough, Massachusetts · ≈ 4½ × 7″ (12 × 18 cm) 
9/17/2016 · By Susan M. Kent · ≈ 5½ × 3½′ (1.7 × 1.2 m) 
9/20/2008 · MOFTA Fair, Unity, Maine 
10/2/2010 · Brewster, New York · ≈ 9 × 7″ (22 × 18 cm) 
9/24/2009 · Scarborough Marsh, Scarborough, Maine 
9/14/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 4½ × 3″ (11 × 7.9 cm) 
ID is uncertain 
9/24/2011 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 10 × 12″ (26 × 29 cm) 
5/21/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 14 × 9″ (35 × 23 cm) 
9/24/2010 · Nissitissit River Wildlife Management Area, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 5 × 8″ (13 × 19 cm) 
9/19/2009 · Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine · ≈ 4 × 5″ (10 × 12 cm) 
9/18/2009 
9/15/2016 · Cadillac Mountain Summit, Acadia, Bar Harbor, Maine 
10/17/2016 · Mt. Greylock, Lanesborough, Massachusetts · ≈ 4½ × 7″ (12 × 18 cm) 
9/20/2009 · Wild Gardens of Acadia, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine · ≈ 10 × 8″ (26 × 20 cm) 
9/18/2009 · Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine · ≈ 5 × 3″ (12 × 8.3 cm) 
10/17/2016 · Mt. Greylock, Lanesborough, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 4″ (14 × 10 cm) 
9/14/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 4 × 3½″ (11 × 9.2 cm) 
9/18/2009 · Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine · ≈ 2½ × 2″ (6.5 × 5.6 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Asteridae | A large class that encompasses asters |
| Order | Asterales | Flowering plants with a central disk flower and surrounding petals, like daisies |
| Family | Asteraceae | The aster family, which also includes daisies and sunflowers; from the Greek ἀστήρ, “star,” for the star-shaped flowers |
| Genus | Symphyotrichum | From Greek symphysis, “borne together or growing together, coalescing,” and trichinos, “hair, a single hair” |
| Species | novae-angliae | “New England” |
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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