New England Aster

New England Aster

Common name:  New England Aster, Michaelmas daisy, hairy Michaelmas-daisy

Scientific name:  Symphyotrichum novae-angliae ‘Purple Dome’

Family:  Aster, Daisy, or Composite; Asteraceae

Bloom period:  September to October

What to look for:  Twelve-inch tall, round mounds of green leaves with daisy-like blooms of royal purple rays and yellow centers. 

Where to see it:  New England asters are scattered throughout all three butterfly gardens and in the garden outside the front gate. 

Benefit to pollinators:  The seeds and nectar of this species are important to a wide variety of birds, bees, butterflies, and moths.

More info:  As with all members of the Asteraceae family, each outer ray (“petal”) is a single flower and the centers comprise hundreds of individual disc flowers.   The ray flowers' function is primarily to attract potential pollinators to visit the flowers.  It’s the tiny disc flowers that provide the

reward of nectar and pollen.  Native Americans use various preparations of Symphyotrichum novae-angliae as an analgesic and to treat diarrhea, fever, excess mucus, and skin diseases.