Fall Flowers

I am always a bit sad when the asters and goldenrods begin to dominate the roadsides. As pretty as they are, it also means the flowering season is grinding to the end. To be sure, there are many flowers appearing in fall, even our native witch hazel doesn’t begin to produce blooms until late September.

Late summer is also the time when haters start to hate on the goldenrods. While some folks may be allergic to those plants specifically, most hay fever sufferers are reacting to the innocuous ragweed. While pollens are produced by all flowering plant species, those dependent on wind, like grasses and ragweed, produce more of it. Goldenrod is pollinated by insects and produces less pollen.

Ragweed pollen if viewed under magnification, is armed with hooks or barbs. This ensures they attach to sensitive lungs, causing all those symptoms of hay-fever.

The Aster is the birthflower for September. It is a symbol of powerful love while the morning glory, another icon of September reflects merely affection. Aster stems from the Greek word for star as is asterisk (little star) and disaster (ill-starred). Some people call some of the aster species, Michaelmas Daisy. Its flowering coincides with the Feast of Saint Michael. Nova Scotia has several naturalized species and even more native asters which should provide us with a display until mid-October.


Ragweed photo by Martin Thomas
Aster lateriflorus photo by Martin Thomas

Canada Goldenrod, Solidago canadensis by Martin Thomas