Big-Leaved Aster gets its common name from its large, heart-shaped foliage, which has coarse-toothed edges reaching 20 cms across. It's often planted for these large leaves as a shaded ground cover rather than for the sometimes sparse fall flowers. The flowering stems reach to 60 cms in height, topped by blossoms with 9 to 20 thin, white-violet rays surrounding a yellow center. The blooms last a long time and are very attractive to pollinators. The foliage is an important host for Eurybia macrophylla is common to northern woodlands, where it often forms a dense ground cover, spreading by rhizomes.
Bigleaf Aster performs best in shady locations with evenly moist soil but it will tolerate drier soil. It is generally pest free and easy to grow. It will spread by rhizomes to form a dense colony making it a great groundcover for shady woodland gardens.