I have several small beds/big clumps of a dark purple New England Aster (native variety). The foliage on the clump at the very top of the garden has been slowly turning brown (crisp and dry) from bottom to top. The plants are normal height and have bloomed profusely, despite the brown foliage. Is this simply from lack of water? I've noticed that clumps/plants in lower parts of the garden where the soil moisture is more consistent are unaffected. I've also noticed some new green growth on the browned plants now that weather is cooler. Is this a blight of some sort or simply too dry conditions? The original plant that all these came from was growing in a boggy area.
