Aster is the common name of various plants valued for their colorful flowers. Most asters are perennials, which means they live more than two years. Some are annuals that die after one growing season. Hundreds of species (kinds) of asters grow in North America, and lesser numbers are found in Europe, Asia, and South America. Aster is the Greek word for star.
The leaves of asters are positioned alternately along the stem. The blossoms consist of small disk flowers in the center surrounded by petallike ray flowers. The disk flowers range in color from white to dark purple. The ray flowers are most commonly white but also may be blue or purple. Most asters bloom late in summer. Some bloom until late fall.
The New England aster is a popular garden flower that blooms in the fall and has purple flowers. Its long narrow leaves grow on a hairy stem. Because these asters bloom at the time of the feast of Michaelmas, they are known as Michaelmas daisies in England.
Most asters are difficult to grow from seed. The plants can be broken into several pieces and transplanted in the spring. They thrive in almost any type of soil. The China aster, an annual, is grown from seed.
