Northeast Gardening: What's Growing - Part 10, 1 by sempervirens

sempervirens wrote:
Anita,
If you cut back the native aster(Aster novae-angliae, New England aster, size 1-8') back repeatedly up until Jul 15 it remains a manageable 2 1/2 '. A few years ago I purchased a very beautiful purple aster from Home Depot, unnamed cultivar, and although it was lovely it had clearly been bred for looks alone because not a bee or benefical insect was ever seen on it. . I eventually gave the aster to someone who is allergic to bee stings, the only good use I could find for the defective aster. I'm sure it feels much better about itself, to have some use, instead of being just another pretty face.
Here's the native aster before blooming, about the same size as the Sedum Autumn Joy.