Flowers in the Aster family are a common sight in September. With disk-like heads, these flowers are composites that are all considered edible. Each petal is actually an individual flower.
Daisies, sunflowers and dandelions all belong to this family but so do flowers that are known by the name of the family itself: asters.
Blue and white asters are common both in my yard and along roadsides in September. The white asters are the first to appear, often in woodland settings. These go by the name of parasol and flat-top aster.
Asters with a blue or purple hue are various. The intensity of their colour varies. Some are low bush while others grow tall. Often known generally as Michaelmas daisies, these are in bloom around the feast of Michael the Archangel on September 29th.
An ancient feast, Michaelmas is considered the Christian equivalent to the autumn equinox. In times past, it marked the beginning of a new quarter and new year for business, making contracts, starting school or electing officials.
