Hi, I have New England Asters (aster nova-angliae). They are pretty well-behaved. They spread which is welcome to me, and if I don't want them there, I pull them up and transplant or give away. They will seed themselves too, so you may find them in other places. But again, they're easy to deal with.

They are an amazing nectar source in the fall, literally covered with monarchs and other butterflies.

I also have a Prairie Aster that has remained in a tidy clump for about 4 years now. Its foliage to me is not as attractive as the New England's, but it has light blue flowers that the butterflies also love; another drawback is it seems to have a shorter blooming season.

I'm in zone 5, so I'm not sure how NE Asters would do for SC.

Also note that NE Aster tend to grow tall in a home garden, so I prune them by half - once or twice to keep them down to a manageable size.

Also don't plant them near a border - plant them closer toward the middle of the garden so when they fall over, they won't be so noticeable.

All Aster do reseed themselves - that's just how they propagate. They're worth it in the fall when you see your flowers covered with butterflies.

How aggressive they are also depends on your conditions - soil, moisture, climate, etc. I've read that white wood aster is extremely aggressive, but in my yard it barely moves. Calico aster and short's aster, on the other hand, seed themselves so much it is almost maddening. One way to deal with the self-seeding is to cut off the flowers before they develop the fluffy seedheads.

I have two asters - one that is nonnative, Aster tartaricus 'Jindai', and Aster oblongifolius (aromatic or fall aster).

The Jindai has grown to about 3' spread in 5 years. The foliage on it is attractive, IMHO, because the leaves are quite large. Not too much of anything bothers it either. The fall blooms are lavendar with yellow centers.

A. oblongifolius, a native aster, is a new one I purchased in spring. Since planting the small 6" tall plant, it has gotten about 2.5' tall. It is supposed to spread slowly by underground stolons. We'll see. Mine are in a location where they can't get too out of control, so where you plant one might be a solution to the asters that border on invasive. Also, you can plant them in a pot and they will winter over just fine. Asters are very hardy. In SC, that might be your best bet.

Susan