New England aster sightings surge as fall bloom peaks
iNaturalist Community
Native Plants
If you've got a patch of these purple daisies holding on in a field or roadside near you, you're looking at one of the last big nectar sources before frost shuts down the pollinator season.
New England aster is a tall, purple, late-blooming wildflower that's native to much of the eastern and central US. Right now it's one of the most-logged plants on iNaturalist, with over 1,100 observations submitted by citizen scientists in just the last week, though that's a bit lower than the week before. Its popularity on the app tracks its bloom time: this aster lights up fields, roadsides, and meadows right as most other flowers are fading for the season.
Key Findings
1,118 observations of New England aster were logged in the US over the past 7 days, among the highest counts for any plant species on the platform
That's a decline of 406 observations (down from 1,524) compared to the previous 7-day period
The species belongs to the Asteraceae (aster/daisy) family and is currently trending due to peak late-season bloom timing
chevron_right Technical Summary
New England aster is lighting up iNaturalist right now, with over 1,100 sightings logged across the US in the past week as the purple-flowered native hits peak fall bloom.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Trending: New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) — 1118 observations this week
New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) is a species in the family Asteraceae. iNaturalist users recorded 1118 observations of it in the United States in the 7 days before today, among the...
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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...