New England American-Asters: Stars of Late Summer
Before the trees put on their colorful autumnal cloaks, the newly rewilded fields at my home turn to gold and purple. New England American-aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) begins blooming in August or September and continues to splash the meadows with deep purple color well into October, mixing with the bright yellow of goldenrod flowers.
These purple blooms belong to the Symphyotrichum genus, which includes more than 100 species in North America.