Asters Light up the Late-Summer Woods

by Kevin Strauss

As summer is coming to a close, the large-leaved aster leap into bloom. This is an odd time for a forest wildflower to be in bloom, since most other woodland flowers bloomed in early spring, before the deciduous trees got their leaves. Other flowers, like brown-eyed susans, bloom on roadsides or meadows where they can find plenty of sun. But asters have a different approach. They seem to wait until later in the season when there will be less competition for light, soil nutrients or insect pollination (over two-thirds of northwoods wildflowers bloom by mid-June). Large-leafed aster gather enough sunlight by producing dozens of large leaves that cover the forest floor, soaking up every drop of sunlight that makes it past the trees. Large-leafed aster are often the last flower still blooming in the northland, blooming from late July to early October each year.

While many aster species grow in the northwoods, large-leafed asters seem to do best in open woodlands or other shady dry areas, where their inch-wide purple and yellow flowers sit atop a 2’-3’ tall stem. Large-leafed asters These asters produce long underground stems that sprout into new colonies of asters far from the parent plants. Aster roots release a chemical that weakens other neighboring plants and the “subcanopy” of 4”-8” inch wide heart-shaped flowers on the forest floor makes it difficult for competitors to get a foothold.

There are over 70 species of asters in the United States (including the common New England aster), and they seem to interbreed where their ranges overlap, making identification difficult. Some naturalists stop with identifying a plant as an aster.

The common name “aster” is Greek for “star” and refers to this flower’s star-shaped daisey-like flowers. This is the same root word that we use on astronaut (“star sailor”) and disaster (an “ill-starred” or unfortunate event).

Asters develop a strong perennial root system wherever they grow, so where you find asters growing this year, you will find them growing again next year. In some parts of my lawn, I mow around patches of asters so I can continue to enjoy this wildflower in town.

Historically, lumberjacks and white settlers have used the large-leafed aster leaves as toilet paper. It probably isn’t the most comfortable leaf for this purpose, being rough and hairy, but at least the leaves are large.

The Ely Timberjay