Thank you for the question.  Your aster looks like any typical perennial that wasn't cut down before winter.  This is fine because birds enjoy the seed.  You can cut it back to the ground now and watch for new growth from the soil around the base of the plant.  Asters are typically very hardy perennials but it's a bit too soon to see spring growth yet.  
If your plant is a native aster, it would grow true from seed.  A hybrid variety would probably not grow true from seed.

Thank you for contacting Extension.