The aster, a cousin to the daisy is also known as the Michaelmas daisy, frost flower or Chinese Daisy. The botanical names are Aster, Callistephus, and the family aster is from is called Compositae.
Asters are one of September’s flowers – the other being the Morning Glory.
Asters in the language of flowers means faith, love, achievement, bravery, luck and wisdom.
They come in shades of pinks, yellows, whites and lavenders.
Asters are commonly found in the wilds of Southern Europe and North America.
To the English they were often refered to by ‘aster’ which is latin for star and ‘starworts’ and dWort comes from the word ‘root’. refering to plants with healing qualities.
Ancient civilizations often used Asters to smoke and would burn these flowers to dispel any negative energy in an area. indigenous tribes still use these flowers as a treatment against muscle pain, headaches, colds, and flue.
American asters were brought to England from Virginia in 1617 by John Traescant the Youger. When they were hybridized with the English starworts, the British took notice and renamed them Michaelmas daisies. The name came from Saint Michael which coincided with their flowering at the same time the British adopeted the Gregroy XIII revised calendar.
Michaelmas – ‘the feast of new beginnings’ is also known as the day for debts to be settled. When asters bloom it’s a reminder that fall is upon us.
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could pay our debts with asters?
Note: The aster is one of two official 20th wedding anniversary flowers. The other flower is the day lily.
One of our more popular floral arrangements that includes white asters (aka montecasino) is the Eden Wildflower Garden
Eden’s wildflower garden