Fewer New England asters spotted as fall bloom season winds down
iNaturalist Community
Phenology
If the tall purple-pink aster brightening roadsides and meadow edges near you is starting to look spent, that is the final native nectar source for migrating bees and butterflies closing up shop for the year.
New England aster is one of the last big wildflowers to bloom before winter, and citizen scientists on iNaturalist have been tracking how many people spot and photograph it across Canada each week. This week's count fell to 159, down from 288 the week before, which fits the pattern of its blooms fading as the season turns colder. It's a reminder to enjoy its purple flowers now, since it's one of the final buffets for bees and butterflies before frost shuts things down.
Key Findings
159 observations of New England aster were logged in Canada on iNaturalist in the past 7 days
That's a drop of 129 observations, down from 288 the previous week
The species remained among the most frequently observed plants in Canada despite the decline
chevron_right Technical Summary
New England aster sightings on iNaturalist in Canada dropped sharply this week, from 288 observations to 159, likely reflecting the plant's late-season bloom tapering off as it heads into fall dormancy.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Trending: New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) — 159 observations this week
New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) is a species in the family Asteraceae. iNaturalist users recorded 159 observations of it in Canada in the 7 days before today, among the most for an...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
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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...