New England aster is one of the most wide-spread and recognizable native asters, found in all but the warmest and coldest areas of North America. It grows 2 to 4 feet tall, and starts blooming in August, continuing into November. The leaves are lanceolate, up to 4 inches long, with distinct lobes at the bases. The flowers are among the largest of our native asters, from 1 to 2 inches across, with about 30-ray flowers surrounding a yellow center. The typical flower is rich violet, but genetic variability has led to cultivars with lavender, pink, or white flowers. The genus name Aster was changed to Symphyotrichum in the Flora of North America. This was based on studies showing that North American asters are unrelated to the Eurasian species, which were named first.