What to Plant in Front of Tall Fall Asters: A Layered Border Plan

Last updated: November 6, 2026

Tall fall asters put on their show at the top of the plant. By the time the flowers open, the lower stems are often bare, brown or leaning, and they’re right at eye level from the path.

The fix is a front layer: lower plants that cover those stems, help hold them up, and give the border something to look at in spring and summer before the asters bloom.

This plan focuses on New England aster, the tallest common native fall aster. The same approach works for other tall asters, as long as the front plants suit your soil and region.

Why Tall Asters Need a Front Layer

Illinois Wildflowers describes two habits that make New England aster awkward at the front of a border. Hot, dry weather can make it drop its lower leaves, and its stems often flop over when nothing nearby supports them.

NC State lists the plant at 3 to 6 feet tall. A plant that size with bare lower stems looks untidy from a path, even when the top is covered in flowers.

A front layer solves both problems at once. Low, bushy neighbors hide the lower stems and give leaning stems something to rest on. If your asters already lose leaves early, our guide to New England aster leaves drying from the bottom helps you check water and site first.

Assess the Front Strip

The front of a border is usually its sunniest and driest part. It’s also where people walk, mow and step. Before choosing plants, check:

• Depth. Measure from the aster crowns to the path or lawn. Less than 2 feet leaves room for only one row of small plants.
• Drainage. Asters like moist to average soil. Front plants should handle the same soil without staying soggy.
• Sun. If the border faces north, tall asters shade the front strip by late summer. Choose shade-tolerant front plants there or reverse the layout.
• Edge pressure. Lawn grass creeping in, mower damage and foot traffic all hit the front row first. A defined edge helps.

Four Jobs for Front-of-Border Plants

Good front plants for tall asters do four things:

1. Cover the lower aster stems by late summer, so they need real foliage, not just a flower stalk.
2. Stay low and upright, so they don’t flop onto the path themselves.
3. Bloom at a different time, so the border has color in spring and summer.
4. Share the asters’ soil and sun, so you aren’t watering one row and drying another.

Plants that do all four are usually clump-formers about one-third to one-half the height of the aster behind them. Aggressive spreaders and short spring ephemerals miss the mark.

Step the Heights Down

Think of the border as a staircase. With New England aster at 3 to 6 feet in the back, the front layer should top out around 1 to 3 feet.

• Directly in front of the asters: 2- to 3-foot plants such as aromatic aster, heath aster or prairie dropseed. These cover the bare stems.
• At the very edge: 1- to 2-foot plants such as butterfly weed and golden alexanders.

If your border is deep enough, an intermediate row of mid-height summer bloomers can sit between the asters and this front layer. Our New England aster border plan covers that middle row and mature spacing.

Plan the Seasons, Not Just the Heights

Fall asters own September and October. The front layer should carry the rest of the year.

• Spring: golden alexanders. The Wildflower Center lists bloom from April into summer.
• Summer: butterfly weed and prairie dropseed’s airy flower heads. The Wildflower Center lists butterfly weed from May to September.
• Late fall: aromatic aster, listed by the Wildflower Center as blooming September through November, keeps color going after many tall asters fade.
• Winter: prairie dropseed’s fine tan foliage holds its shape along the path.

Installation Steps

Step 1: Define the edge. Cut a clean line between lawn and bed, or lay a path. It protects the front row from mowers and foot traffic.

Step 2: Plant in spring. Set the row nearest the asters first, then the edge row.

Step 3: Mark the slow starters. NC State notes that butterfly weed can take two to three years to establish and flower from seed, and that prairie dropseed is slow to establish. Label both so they aren’t weeded out or overplanted.

Step 4: Water the first season. Even drought-tolerant front plants need regular water until roots establish.

Step 5: Leave butterfly weed where you put it. NC State says it does not transplant well because of its deep taproot, so choose its spot carefully the first time.

The First Three Years

If butterfly weed is slow to show up in spring, our guide to milkweed not returning in spring explains how to check before replanting.

For the tall asters themselves, pinching in spring gives a bushier plant, according to NC State. Our guide to New England asters flopping covers pinching and staking.

Mistakes to Avoid

• Front plants that are too tall. Anything as tall as the asters hides them instead of framing them.
• Spreading groundcovers. The Wildflower Center notes that Pennsylvania sedge spreads relentlessly by rhizomes, and NC State says it does not want full sun. It is a poor fit for a sunny aster border.
• Single plants. One butterfly weed every 6 feet looks scattered. Group or repeat in a steady rhythm.
• Mismatched moisture. A plant that needs wet soil won’t thrive beside drought-tolerant prairie dropseed, and the reverse is also true.
• Replanting too soon. Slow starters like butterfly weed and prairie dropseed often look like failures in year one.

Regional Alternates

The front layer should come from your region’s native flora, not just this list.

• Southeast: heath aster is largely absent from the southeastern states in the Wildflower Center’s distribution list, and prairie dropseed is only local in the South. Lean on butterfly weed, golden alexanders and aromatic aster.
• Northeast and New England: aromatic aster’s listed range starts at Pennsylvania. Use heath aster, golden alexanders and butterfly weed instead.
• Partly shaded fronts: golden alexanders tolerates part shade, per the Wildflower Center. Most of the other plants here prefer full sun.

📋 More on this plant: read the full New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) profile, or see it in our native plant lists for New Hampshire, Maine & Vermont, Maryland, Virginia & West Virginia, Illinois, Iowa & Missouri, and Nebraska, Kansas & Eastern Colorado.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I plant in front of New England asters to hide the bare stems?
Low, bushy plants about 1 to 3 feet tall work best. Aromatic aster, heath aster and prairie dropseed cover the lower stems; butterfly weed and golden alexanders make a lower edge in front of them.

Why do my New England asters have bare lower stems?
Illinois Wildflowers notes that hot, dry weather can make the plant drop its lower leaves. Mulch and water in dry spells help, and a front layer hides what remains.

How tall should front-of-border plants be?
About one-third to one-half the height of the plants behind them. With asters at 3 to 6 feet, aim for front plants of roughly 1 to 3 feet.

Can I plant a groundcover in front of asters?
A clumping plant is usually better. Running groundcovers tend to invade the aster crowns, and some, like Pennsylvania sedge, prefer shade rather than the full sun asters need.

When is the best time to add a front layer to an existing border?
Spring is best, so new plants have a full season to establish. Cut the asters back to the ground first so you can see the crowns and plant around them.