New England Aster
It’s aster time in Iowa, with many species in bloom. The showiest is the New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae). It has the deepest hue and one of the biggest flowers of any aster in Iowa.
The Common Buckeye butterfly seems to love this flower. Even its colors seem to harmonize with the aster, as if to comment on the guild that binds insect to flower.
Which aster?
There are more than 20 species of asters in Iowa. It’s has been my great pleasure to try to learn to tell them apart. When I discover what makes an aster the one it is, I find my eyes open and really see it.
So let’s look at the New England Aster. In summer, the buds develop gradually, like a thousand tight little fists.
Until one day they open their hands to fully reveal their colors.
New England Asters are easy to spot in the Midwest, even before they bloom, because of the way the leaves clasp the stem. They sort of hug it. The leaves look as if they have little ears that fit snugly around the stems.
Aster time
In late summer, when most of the flowers are past their peak or completely spent, the asters are coming into their glory. The fields are lovely now because of them. And most vivid of all are the New England Asters.
I wonder if in some way they can know how much I love them.
Such a gorgeous photo of the common buckeye butterfly with the asters! -Ari from Texas
Comment #2 from me....
The deer also love them. Rrrrrrrr. I have some caged and some fenced in and I'm spraying them too.
But even the ones pruned by deer are blooming now thst they're more protected.