This purple fall wildflower is popping up everywhere right now
iNaturalist Community
Native Plants
If you spot a cluster of purple, daisy-like flowers with yellow centers along a trail or in an untended corner of your yard this month, it's likely this native aster feeding late-season bees and butterflies right before frost.
New England aster is a native wildflower that blooms in late summer and fall, covering itself in purple petals with yellow centers just as most other flowers are fading. Right now nearly 300 people have logged sightings of it on iNaturalist in a single week, which means it's actively flowering across a wide area. It's an easy plant to spot on a walk and a great one to leave alone if it shows up in your garden, since it's one of the last nectar sources for pollinators before winter.
Key Findings
299 research-grade observations of New England aster were logged in one week
The species ranked among the most-observed plants on iNaturalist during this period
High observation volume reflects peak fall bloom timing for this native perennial
chevron_right Technical Summary
New England aster is having a big moment on iNaturalist this week, with 299 verified sightings logged by observers, a sign that this native fall wildflower is blooming widely and catching people's eyes right now.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Trending: New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) — 299 observations this week
New England aster is among the most observed plant species this week with 299 research-grade observations.
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
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Symphyotrichum novae-angliae is a species of flowering plant in the aster family (Asteraceae) native to central and eastern North America. Commonly known as New England aster, hairy Michaelmas-daisy, or Michaelmas daisy, it is a perennial, herbaceous plant usually between 30 and 120 centimeters t...