Skip to main content

Bushy Aster

Symphyotrichum dumosum

Last reviewed: August 2026

Bushy Aster (Symphyotrichum dumosum) is a perennial forb native to AL, AR, CT, DE and 27 more states. It blooms in August, September, and October. The flowers draw bees, butterflies, and moths. It reads as an intentional, HOA-friendly planting in the right spot.

Bushy Aster (Symphyotrichum dumosum)
Photo: H. Zell / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Toxicity unknown

Bushy Aster (Symphyotrichum dumosum) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.

Light

full sun

Water

medium

Size

12"–36" H × 12"–24" W

Bloom

Aug, Sep, Oct

Native to

AL, AR, CT, DE and 27 more states

Pollinators

bees, butterflies, moths

Before you buy

Your city may pay you to plant this

Cities and water utilities offer rebates for replacing lawn with native and water-wise plants. We track 445 programs across 44 states, each with a link to the provider and the date we last checked it.

Find rebates in your area

Browse plants for this ecoregion

Cross TimbersEast Central Texas PlainsWestern Gulf Coastal PlainSouth Central PlainsEastern Temperate ForestsOzark HighlandsCentral Irregular PlainsPiedmontWestern Corn Belt PlainsNorth Central Hardwood ForestsCentral Corn Belt PlainsEastern Corn Belt PlainsSouthern Michigan/Northern Indiana Drift PlainsNortheastern HighlandsNortheastern Coastal ZoneMiddle Atlantic Coastal PlainNorthern PiedmontSoutheastern PlainsBlue RidgeRidge and ValleyCentral AppalachiansWestern Allegheny PlateauInterior PlateauInterior River Valleys and HillsMississippi Alluvial PlainMississippi Valley Loess PlainsSouthern Coastal PlainSouthern Florida Coastal PlainAtlantic Coastal Pine Barrens

Bushy aster is a compact native perennial that produces masses of small white or pale lavender daisy-like flowers from late summer through fall. This well-behaved native maintains a tidy, rounded form and provides reliable late-season color when many other plants are fading.

Growing Bushy Aster

Grow Bushy Aster in full sun and medium water. Mature plants reach 12 to 36 inches tall and spread 12 to 24 inches wide. Expect low maintenance to keep it looking intentional in a front yard.

In an HOA neighborhood

Bushy Aster is an HOA-friendly choice. Maintenance level: low. Tidiness: 4 out of 5.

Works well in: front yard, foundation, street edge, mid zone.

  • May self-seed in ideal conditions

Wildlife value

Host plant for pearl crescent butterfly.

The abundant small flowers are magnets for bees, butterflies, and moths during the crucial late-season nectar period. This plant is especially valuable for migrating monarch butterflies in fall.

Common questions

How much sun does Bushy Aster need?
Bushy Aster grows best in full sun conditions.
When does Bushy Aster bloom?
Bushy Aster blooms in August, September, and October.
Where is Bushy Aster native?
Bushy Aster (Symphyotrichum dumosum) is native to AL, AR, CT, DE and 27 more states, per vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists.
What butterflies or moths does Bushy Aster host?
Bushy Aster is a larval host plant for pearl crescent butterfly.
Is Bushy Aster HOA-friendly?
Bushy Aster is generally an HOA-friendly choice in the right placement, with low maintenance.

Native range data from vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists. Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.

Ready to grow Bushy Aster? Add it to your garden in Pollinator Patch to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.

Add this plant to your garden
iPhone appAndroid app

Not sure where to start? Take the 2-minute yard quiz