Aster

ASTER is a flowering plant of the Composite family. It is so general in the United States that it has been suggested as the national flower. More than 175 species produce in North America. The flower also grows in parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. Toward the last of August and during September and October, these beautiful glittery wild flowers rupture into bloom. The aster (from the Greek aster, meaning "star") was so named because of its burning or star like flower head. It is found mainly in North America.

Asters are typically perennial plants. The flowers contain yellowish or brownish disks surrounded by white, purple, violet, blue, rose, or pink rays. Two handsome species are the New England aster, with its many large violet or purple rays, and the New York aster (Aster novi-belgii), which has light blue and white blossoms. They bloom until subsequent to the first frost. Both of these are ordinary in the northeastern United States.

The aster is linked to the daisy. It gets its name from the Greek word for star. The blossoms may be from one-half to two inches in width they differ in color from white through pink, red, and blue. All have flat yellow centers bounded by many thin petals.