Did you know that asters are no longer asters? I was surprised to find I've been mistaken all this time! I learned from a botanist/plant systematist at the Illinois Natural History Survey that most asters have now been reclassified under the genera Eurybia and Symphyotrichum. Why? Because genetics and a fuller understanding of plants' DNA are revealing more differences than previous investigations, which analyzed the visible structure of plants. When? I still haven't gotten a clear answer as to when the taxonomic switch was made official, but it's trickling down slowly through the gardening world. While I will respect the decision of the Official Plant Namers, they will always be asters to me. Here's a short list of some native asters with their updated genus names:
Drummond's aster (Symphyotrichum drummondii)
Heath aster (Symphyotrichum ericoides)
Big-leaved aster (Eurybia macrophylla)
New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)
Sky blue aster (Symphyotrichum oolentangiense)

No matter what you call them, most asters need to be pinched back about now or within a few weeks. If not, they can flop when the flowers bloom later this summer. For example, Aster—I mean—Symphyotrichum laevis can take a good pinching back around this time. If your species grows to 3 feet tall or higher, consider pinching them by a few inches before the end of June. And be sure to update those plant tags!

— Rose Rankin