Asteraceae, and Other Flowers of Autumn Asteraceae, and Other Flowers of AutumnLate summer and early autumn bring a whole new color to the landscape in the woods and meadows. The asters, goldenrods, eupatoriums and ironweeds are all starting to bloom and their brilliant colors will last well after the first frosts of late September and early October.
These plants are all members of the largest family of vascular plants on Earth--the Asteraceae, or aster family. Formerly called the Compositae or composite family. In West Virginia we have more than 60 genera of plants in this family.
The genus Aster, from which the family derives its name, has over 15 different species, some distinguished by such slight differences a microscope is necessary to identify them.
Most people are familiar with the Aster novae-angliae, the New England aster, one of the showiest of our native species. Appearing along roadsides and in moist thickets, it's height ranges from two to over eight feet. Its dark-purple flowers bloom from August through October. Several forms have been selected and named, among which, Aster 'Purple Dome' remains one of the best. It's a dwarf form selected by Dr. Richard Lighty of the Mt. Cuba Center in Greenville, Delaware, and grows to only 12"-18", making it a colorful addition to the front of the border.
Aster divaricatus, or white wood aster, is easily identified by its small white flowers on stems that zigzag at each node. It occurs throughout West Virginia in dry open woods.
Solidago, the golden rods, have gotten a black eye due to ignorance. There are about 30 species of Solidago in the state. Many gardenworthy selections have been made in this genus also. The most recent is the very showy Solidago rugosa 'Fireworks', whose brilliant yellow cascading flowers resemble flowing bursts of fireworks. Golden rod is often mistakenly identified as the cause of the horrible hay fever many people suffer from late in the season. But the real culprit is ragweed, whose generic name is Ambrosia. Not because it is the nectar of the gods, but because it was named for the botanist John Ambrose.
Liatris is another much cultivated genus and many species of Liatris have named cultivars. Liatris is commonly known as blazing star or gay feathers. You can find seven species of Liatris in the Mountain State, the most common being Liatris spicata. Their feathery purple spikes of long lasting flowers can reach up to 36" and when used in the garden, they make an interesting contrast with the typically yellow flowers of other members of the aster family such as the Solidagos etc.
The genus Eupatorium is quite well represented by more than a dozen species. The most popular is Eupatorium fistulosum, or Joe Pye weed. Reaching up to 10 feet and blooming in late summer and throughout early autumn, Eupatorium fistulosom is a striking plant. I'm sure that everyone has noticed it at one point in their travels. Commonly found in moist creek bottoms and along stream banks with its rosy pink flowers, it's an important pollen and nectar plant and attracts insect pollinators by the score. It makes a great statement in the garden where it is best placed in the back of the border to highlight smaller plants in the middle to front of the border. I know of at least one cultivar, gateway that was selected by world famous plantsman Kurt Bluemel. It was selected for its reddish stems. By the way, The name Eupatorium comes from its namesake, Mithridates Eupator who lived from 132-163 BC and was purported to have used the plant medicinally. The specific epithet, or second name, fistulosum means hollow stem. Another species in the genus Eupatorium is Eupatorium rugosum. This plant inhabits a completely different habitat. It can be found in rich woods and along fencerows where the woods meet fields. It only grows from 12-36 inches and its flowers are white. The name rugosa means rough or wrinkled and refers to the coarseness of the foliage. A cultivar named 'Chocolate' selected by Dr. Richard Lighty of Mt. Cuba, has brownish-bronze chocolate-like foliage and presents a lovely contrast with the pure white flowers.
- Barry Glick
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