The Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

Asters and

Goldenrods

Wild Asters

Like star showers the wild asters, beloved by all, nod their heads in the rustling breezes of autumn. The picturesque beauty of natures last lovely gift of the season, range thru shades of sky-blue, purple, rose and white. There are no less than 25 species of wild aster in this locality adorning dry hills as well as fields and meadows and even the deep woods.

Altho the warm moon of autumn cools suddenly and a tangible coldness creeps over the earth with frost lying thick at dawn, the hardy asters remain untouched. Their beauty has given them a place in our cultivated gardens, where they are one of the pleasures of the mellow days of autumn.

Martha Crone

Scientific names: In recent years botanists have reclassified many asters that were formerly in the genus Aster. The newer names are used here. Alternate common names are shown in ( ). Former Gardener Cary George once remarked that when so many varieties of Aster are growing in close vicinity to each other, they tend to hybridize and thus some are difficult to classify correctly. Details of the leaf structure of each aster will be found on the individual plant information pages.

“From year to year I become more and more attached to wild asters. They are so varied in color, habit, and form. The one I look at last, I like best of all.” Eloise Butler

The Goldenrods

Left: Canada Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis L.)
Right: Zig-Zag Goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis L.)
Below Left: Grass-leaved Goldenrod (Euthamia graminifolia (L.) Nutt. var. graminifolia.)
Below Center: Stiff Goldenrod (Oligoneuron rigidum L.)
Below Right: Showy Goldenrod (Solidago speciosa Nutt.)

Botanists have also done some reclassification of the Goldenrods. All were formerly in the Genus Solidago.