Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Wildflower Wednesday



Of course, 'Autumn Joy' sedum isn't a wildflower, but the sweet little pale lavender-pink asters are.  They're the last native plants left blooming in our garden, and they just burst open this week.  

I'm not even sure which aster this is, but my guess is Aster lateriflorus, or if you like those newfangled botanical names,  Symphyotrichum lateriflorum, or if you're like me and find the common names more romantic, fun, easier to pronounce, and so much friendlier, calico aster.  

Like many asters, this one likes to sprawl.  I moved it behind the sedums last fall, thinking they might give it a little support.  They do, and I like how the contrasting blooms and foliage are mingling together - a happy accident, don't you think?

To join in this monthly celebration of wildflowers blooming in gardens all over, please visit Gail at Clay and Limestone, where she's featuring tiny asters too; with wonderful photos of the pollinators that love these native autumn blooms.

19 comments:

  1. We had some wild native Asters up in the mountains above Palm Springs where I lived for 24 years. They always volunteered and were attractive, but I liked them more for the way they attracted the Swallowtail Butterflies.

    Incredibly 'Autumn Joy' Sedum does extremely well over here in Sweden and everybody with a garden seems to have them. They also appear to reseed very well. What amazes me the first time I encountered them is the delicate looking nature of their succulent foliage and yet these seemingly delicate plants will die back to the ground here and explode with a vengeance the next year. Same with Tropic Canas, even Lavender was a surprise for me to see here as I only considered it Mediterranean.


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    1. Swallowtails have been mysteriously absent here this year, Timeless. I hope to see them back again next year.

      Those sedums are tough!

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  2. That's a really lovely combination!

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  3. Anonymous12:25 PM

    The asters are the sprites of the fall garden. I don't care what we call them, and by the by, that botanical name is too long and complicated to remember. :) I just like all of them, and the pollinators do too.~~Dee

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    1. Absolutely, Dee - I haven't met an aster I didn't like!

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  4. I have some small flowered asters too although of course here in the Uk they arent native but they are quite delightful

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    1. Even though they're not native across the pond Helen, I'm guessing your pollinators enjoy them all the same.

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  5. Anonymous6:54 PM

    I like calico aster, especially the different colored centers of some of the flowers. Only thing is, when I planted them in rich soil they got absolutely rampant in my garden. I only put them in difficult situations now.

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    1. LOL - our whole garden is a difficult situation! There's so much competition for water and root space in our garden, only the tough survive. Even then, everything here is very slow-growing, and except for silver maples and buckthorns, seedlings are rare.

      Even weeds don't like our garden, but then, that's a good thing.

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  6. I have trouble identifying the different asters, too, Linda, and I refuse to call them by their new botanical name--the bees don't care what they're called:) I love the pairing of these blooms with the rich colors of the sedum.

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    1. The disc flowers are already starting to turn from pale yellow to burgundy, Rose. I'm pretty sure this one is a calico aster. There are a few other tiny asters I'm less confident about their identities. I get a little driven when it comes to identifying some of the unknowns here. While I like knowing the Latin names, I much prefer calling them by their common names.

      I'm very pleased with this combo!

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  7. I love the color combination with sedum! The asters are unique flowering here in my garden.

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    1. Glad you get to enjoy asters where you live too, Nadezda!

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    2. Hi!
      Congratulation, I nominated your blog on ‘Beautiful Blogger Award’!

      You can find your Award here: http://northern-garden.blogspot.com/2012/10/beautiful-blogger-award.html

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  8. I like the sedum with the asters. Even though the sedums aren't native, they sure do well with little water, and they are beautiful in the fall.

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  9. Sedums were great with our very dry summer, Sue!

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  10. I love the sedum/aster combination Linda. I grow sedum in containers but, one of my favorite is sitting right next to this aster and looks stellar! Happy belated WW!

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    1. Thanks Gail! Have a wonderful week!

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