Aster

Aster

Asters are gorgeous flowers that provide a beautiful display of blooms to admire from August to October. The flowers are widely popular as bouquets, arrangements, and event plants, making them ideal gifts for friends and family. You can find out more about asters below.

About Asters

The aster is a flower with star-shaped petals in red, pink, white, blue, lavender, and purple. The bloom is quite notable for its bright colours and especially its yellow centre. Aster is a genus, so it doesn’t refer to only one type of flower as there are more than 100 species of this beautiful bloom.

The blooms of the aster plant are a beauty to behold, particularly their striking petal structure. Asters are often used in numerous flower arrangements and bouquets. Many people also liked to plant them in their gardens and give them as gifts. They are great ornaments that anyone would love to receive.

Scientific Name

Asters are perennial flowering plants, a genus that belongs in the family Asteraceae. It has a scientific name called symphyotrichum but is known mainly by its common names “asters,” “frost flowers,” and “New England asters.” Sometimes, they are also called “Michaelmas daisies” or “starworts.”

But the name aster is from an Ancient Greek word that means “star.” The name refers to the flower head’s shape, which looked like a star.

Origin and History

In the past, there were over 600 species of aster in North America and Eurasia, with the Montecasino species being the most popular. Many of the species were eventually reclassified, narrowing them down substantially. The North American species became part of related genera, leaving about 180 species of aster, mostly in Eurasia.

Symbolism and Meaning

There were several symbolisms related to the flower aster, and it was also given several meanings throughout the years. Many centuries ago, people believed burning its petals can drive away evil serpents. People thought that scent of the burning flower could repel awful things, earning it the reputation of providing people with protection.

Today, aster represents patience and love or simply patient love. It’s a beautiful blossom that serves as an amazing gift to tell your loved ones you care and love them. In the past, asters were also popularly laid on graves, mainly of French soldiers. It’s a way of saying you wish that the battle has gone differently.

Besides the flowers, the plant itself was considered valuable. It is said that its root has healing properties. In the Chinese culture, they use the root of asters to relieve cough and congestion. Today, people mostly know aster as the birth flower of those born in September and the flower for celebrating 20th anniversaries.