The Wild Asters of Protection Farm

The Beautiful New England Aster, and the Spotted touch-me-not (Jewelweed) (Impatiens capensis)

Surprisingly, the most colorful time of the year at Protection Farm occurs from mid-September thru early November. We experience the dramatic changing of the fall foliage of the maples, oaks, ashes, beeches, and other deciduous trees. This natural seasonal occurrence brings tourism and leaf peepers to our rural area.  We should not neglect to celebrate another major contributor to the spectrum changes that we experience. We are now in the midst of late season blooms of goldenrods and asters. These attractive flowers displaying yellows, oranges, pinks, blues, and whites blanket the otherwise fading meadows. Asters and goldenrods are all along the roadsides to and in the woods, along the shores of lakes, creeks, and ponds, in our parks, backyards, and gardens. They are everywhere and they stand out.

Asters and goldenrods come from the same family (Asteraceae), as Sunflowers, Black-eyed Susans, and Daisys. This is the largest family of vascular plants. "Aster" comes from the Greek and means "star".

In 2010, as is typical,   the many species, subspecies, and hybridized versions of the brilliant yellow flowered goldenrods appeared in late August early September. Then later in September as the goldenrods began to fade, out came the asters. 31 species of asters have been identified as possible in WNY. And, lots more hybrids.

Asters hybridize. This makes identification, at least dyslexic for non-botanists like myself challenging, to say the least. Nonetheless I have found different and describable species/groupings of asters here at Protection Farm.  I can identify these groupings with varying levels of confidence. I use these species/groupings generically in these descriptions because asters hybridize. Did I mention that asters have a tendency to hybridize?

Ray and Disk Florets

 A Little Botany

Aster flowers are made of composite heads. These heads are made of "disk" florets and "ray" florets. Asters have a central disk of florets, surrounded by a floret of rays. The ray's consist of five petals made of split but linked rays.

Asters are well designed for cross-pollination (pollination between plants).  The showy ray petals  have female parts and are fertile. The central disk florets are both male and female. This is where the seed is produced. Insects work from the outside to the center of the flower. The female florets are pollinated from insects carrying pollen form another flower head. As the insect moves to the center it picks up new pollen from the central floret and carries it to the next plant.

Wood Asters left, and three other species including New England Aster, right

Habitat

Protection Farm asters, like all asters are found in many habitats.  Here they are found in meadows, along the edges of fences, buildings, pathways and roadsides, in the woods, and the marshy and wet areas. 

The late season abundance of the asters and goldenrods is a beautiful welcome to a season when many of the summer species of plants and birds have gone. The unfolding of the beautiful flowers of these plants is a remarkable seasonal gift. It is a seasonal delightful to the eye. The blooming cycle changes the  micro-atmosperics perceptively (taste, smell, activity).

Near the planted American Elm

Late blooming plants have important ecological roles.  They are late nectar sources for the many species of beneficial insects.  On any given day, encouraged by warmth and sunlight, dozens of species of wild bees, wasps, butterflies, and other nectar reliant species flood the fields with activity.  Later, as these flowers emerge with seeds, and typically after the first killing frost, they will supply food for remaining birds including goldfinches, remaining sparrows and other animals. Sometimes I think that this aster season is a soft introduction to the oncoming and often harsh winter days that lie ahead.

There are five different asters in this photo

I am finding individual plants within most of these groups that have similar characteristics, but are not identical. For instance, within one generic grouping, I find different colored flowers or slightly different sized flowers, and/or they are located in slightly different habitats. I am finding what appear to be wood asters in several locations, some have different colored flowers, or flower sizes. Identifiers for asters include comparisons of stems, leafs, flowers, florets, 

I have high confidence in some identifications such as the New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (Aster novae-angliae).

Some asters I have not identified at all. I will continue to work on that.

I think I have hit a measurable personal milestone with these identifications. But please don't take what you see here for granted. I could be many times wrong.

Known Species at Protection Farm

New England Aster

Possibly New York Aster

White Bushy Aster

Blue Bushy Aster

Calico Aster

Wood Aster

Wavy Leaved Aster

New England Aster with Canada Goldenrod (Solidago candensis)

Burney's Small Flowered White Bushy Aster? (aster dumosus v. burney)

 Beautiful New England
All of the New England Asters at Protection Farm have intense purple ray florets circling disk florets of brilliant yellow. They are known to also have lavender to almost white rays, but not here. These composite flowers are about an inch across are on the upper stems of the 2-4 foot tall plants.  The central stem branches near the top of the plant with alternate leaves. The leaves are pubescent, oblong with smooth by ciliate margins. According to the USDA, the New England Aster is not known to invade habitats in which it does not normally occur.

New England in  Jajeans garden

You tell me