Edited again to correct the ID.
This Symphyotrichum (Aster) hitched a ride to my yard in a pot with a plant I bought from the Virginia Native Plant Society. The flowers are mostly are one side of the stem, which points towards Symphyotrichum racemosum (Small-flower white Aster, Smooth white oldfield Aster) rather than Symphyotrichum laterifolium (Calico Aster).
Chillybean, is this what your Aster looks like?
This message was edited Oct 13, 2014 11:50 AM
While looking for photos of asters, I came across a good online resource I hadn't seen before: http://vaplantatlas.org
This link should bring up a page full of links, including ones to Symphyotrichum that are native to Virginia:
http://vaplantatlas.org/index.php?do=browse:family&id=31
I just saw this; I had been just going to my thread watcher to look for updates.
It looks similar, but I checked the USDA site and the Symphyotrichum racemosum is not found in Iowa. Well, at least what's been reported. According to their site, my county doesn't have flowers. :P LOL I thought about going through the process of emailing them proof of certain flowers I've seen in ditches and in wildlife areas. Naah...
That's funny! It's too bad that it's not easier to report which wildflowers grow in your area.
Muddy1....You may have already identified your aster, but just in case look at this one.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1277/
There sure are a lot of small-flowered white Asters!
I'll take some better photos next year and try to figure it out then.
Thanks for adding another possible ID.
Yes, there are many of them. I have a couple here which I think I've id'd correctly. Maybe anyway.
I think it was small flowered white fall asters which broke me of wanting to get species in wild volunteers.
This forum has a crying need for an in-residence asterologist.
LOL!
I think small white aster is a fine name for a flower. :)
greenthumb, thanks so much for volunteering!!
This blog shows how some small-flowered asters can be ID'ed by examining their leaves:
http://fieldbioinohio.blogspot.com/2011/11/some-ohio-asters.html
The writer says this about the "racemosum/ericoides group", however: "Common names include the Heath Aster, Small White, Smooth White, and Old Field Aster. ...... This group of asters tend to hybridize, so I can't be sure which is which."
could this be the dawning of the Age of Asterology?
Wah-wah-wah
Hair, hair Sally, that's enough!
I sowed lots of this plant's seeds at the entrance to the forest today. I'm really hoping they'll grow like weeds : - )
