The purple New England Aster is a familiar September sight.
The New England Aster (Symphotrichum novae-angliae) is often dug up from the wild and planted in gardens. It grows naturally in fields and woodland thickets, along roadsides, or wherever there are low moist spots. Look for stems that are hairy and sharp-pointed leaves. The leaves appear to clasp the stem at their base. The petal like rays are purple. The green bracts just under the flower heads curve downward.
bOB COFFIN said,
November 27, 2009 at 1:21 pm11
These,n ow that I remember them,look surprisdinglylike what the Hybridiizers may have used to come up with Wood Asters–alsoin lt Blue, Prplish and Pink. Difference being that wood asters come in very bi clumps with hundreds of blooms and grow 2-2 1/2 ft high. Pretty much same bloom tho. My tamed ones are in their 2nd year and went from small clump (a one gal pot) to 3×4 ft in one year.an d Very late bloomers Sep-Oct here in VA.