Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
USWFS Headquarters. “Monarch on New England Aster Sand Lake WMD” WordPress
Asteraceae
Michaelmas Daisy, Starwort, Frost Flower
Interesting Facts
One reason why this particular flower is so widely planted is that they are deer resistant. This means that deer are less likely to nibble on them and ruin the appeal of the garden they are planted in. New England Aster was also once widely used in medicines by Native American tribes. Many tribes ground it up, burned it over a fire, and used the smoke from it to revive people, much like smelling salts are used today. An infusion of the roots can also be made to help treat diarrhea and fever. This aster is a good source of nectar and is therefore frequented by both honeybees and Monarch Butterflies. Not only can animals eat it, but so can people. New England Aster is edible fresh or dried and can be put straight into salads or made into tea. The National University of Natural Medicine did a study on how tea made from New England Aster can relieve some of the effects of asthma. Those who tried it stated that they had a drastic decrease in asthma attacks. Of course, this should not replace inhalers in the event of a severe attack.
Description
The New England Aster is a perennial flower. It has a range of one to five roots growing from it that are usually either brown or purple in color and hairy and woody in texture. This flower is known for growing in clumps with several stems shooting out from one base. These stems are between two and five feet tall and are covered in white hairs. At the base of the stems, leaves that are long and thin come to a point. They alternate going up the stem until reaching the base of the flower head. The flower itself ranges from shades of pink to purple. The flowers are about 1.5 inches wide with somewhere between 40-100 ray-like petals surrounding the yellow center. The center is made up of smaller yellow petals pointed upwards circling the pollen and nectar in the center.
Location
New England Aster is native to the Northeastern and Central United States as well as Southeastern Canada. It tends to grow in moist habitats such as meadows, marshes, and forest edges. There have been some cases recorded in Ontario, Canada where this flower was found to grow in dry and sandy soil. This shows that it has the ability to adapt to its surroundings quite well.