FROST ASTER

...FROST ASTER'S CLUSTERS OF SMALL, DAISY-LIKE FLOWERS

THE FROST ASTER; A LARGE, BUSHY PERENNIAL...

Monday, 8:30 AM.  62 degrees F at the ferry dock, 59 on the back porch.  Wind SW, mostly calm with light to moderate gusts. The sky is still cloudy after a brief rainstorm during the night, but the sun is peeking through.  The humidity is 76%, the barometer falling, now at 30.07", forecasting mixed skies and chances of rain and thunderstorms again Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  The high temperatures will be in the mid- to upper-70's.
   We have had nothing but hurricane news for weeks, it's as though nothing else were going on in the whole world.  Not even much mention of 9/11, and nothing at all about North Korea.  Did they fire another missile at us or our allies?  Are we still on the brink of nuclear war?  It is all a mystery, except for weather that can't be accurately predicted anyway.
   The common frost aster, Aster pilosus, is now in full bloom in fields and along roadsides.  There are other rather similar asters, in the Sunflower Family (Compositae ). that it can be confused with, especially Aster ericoides, the heath aster, but the later has flowers with far fewer ray flower "petals," and much smaller, heath-like leaves. The asters can be quite confusing, so I limit my comments to a few species that I can be certain of.
   The frost aster is a robust perennial plant, quite bushy, and very floriferous. It is native to much of eastern North America, and is not very fussy about soil, will tolerate dry conditions and prefers full sun. Its habitat ranges from prairies and meadows to waste places and rock outcroppings. It is a good plant for a wild garden or restorations, but probably too large and vigorous for the perennial garden.