Whorled Wood Aster
Aster acuminatus
Family Asteraceae

Characteristics:
* Flower white and composite, with many ray-like petals and a yellow center.
* Leaves large, sharp-toothed, with narrow bases, surrounding the stem in a way that makes them appear whorled.
* Stem hairy, often zigzag, sometimes reddish at the base.
* Height: 1-3".

Natural History:
* Flowers July - October.
* Habitat: Wooded areas, clearings.
* Range: Eastern Canada, further south in the mountains.
* Native.

Connections!
* Asters appear in autumn, when most other flowers have wilted and dried up. Their delicate rayed flowers fill fields and woods and are a welcome sight to those who dread the end of summer. Colloquial names for asters include Fall Rose, Frost Flower, Frostweed, and Goodbye-Summer. It-Brings-the-Fall is a Native American expression for aster.