Common name: New England aster

Scientific name: Aster novae-angliae

Family: Asteraceae

Attracts: pollinators such as flies, bees, skippers and other butterflies

Native range: the east to the North Dakota and south to Alabama

Habitat: open fields, roadsides

Height: varies with variety; 24 to 60 inches tall

Light: sun to partial sun

Hardiness zone: 3 to 9

Bloom period: summer into autumn

Bloom color: varies, but generally reds, pinks and purples

Growing tips: Give plants room to spread.

Image copyright: Donna L. Long, 2010