A closer look at heath asters

Two days ago you got a panoramic view of some densely flowering heath asters, Symphyotrichum ericoides, and now here’s a closer look. Most of this species’ flower spikes are more horizontal than vertical, but once in a while one stands upright. I photographed these upstanding flowers in Manor, a town on the Blackland Prairie about ten miles east of Austin, on November 3.

For more information about this species, including a state-clickable map showing the many places in North America where heath asters grow, you can visit the USDA website.

© 2011 Steven Schwartzman