Flat-Top Asters

Flat-topped white aster; native perennial; also called Flat-top Aster, Parasol Aster, Tall Flat-topped White Aster.

Family: Aster (Asteraceae)

Flower: White ray flowers surrounding yellow disk flowers; flat-topped cluster; few rayed (2-15) flowers; each flower 1-2 cm wide; yellow disk turns purplish or gray with age; the grayish flower heads persist late into fall; August – September.

Stem: Rigid, upright carrying the flower cluster.

Leaves: Lanced-shaped, toothless, rough-margined; up to 15 cm long.

Height: 0.5 – 2 m.

Habitat: Moist thickets, meadows, swamp edges, and roadsides.

Interest: Prefers moist areas; one of the earliest asters to bloom. The flower cluster is usually flat-topped, but occasionally the plant has a dome-shaped flower cluster.
(http://www.ontariowildflower.com)

Photographed in Ste. Rita, Manitoba

Canon EOS 50D; Canon 17-85mmlens