Garden aster

The garden aster is a perennial herbaceous plant reaching 90–150 cm in height and flowering from August to November. Native to North America, Aster novi-belgii was introduced to Europe in the 18th century as an ornamental plant. Having escaped cultivation, it now grows spontaneously in many places, preferably on rather calcareous soils: in gardens, meadows and moist woodlands.

Other aster species flower in spring (Aster alpinus) or in summer (Aster amellus).

Numerous branches emerge from the upright stem, especially towards the top, giving the plant a pyramidal appearance; at the ends of these branches develop daisy-like, airy flowers in various colours depending on the variety: white, blue, red, pink …

The flowers attract bees and many other insects and, by their shape, provide an ideal kind of landing platform that facilitates foraging.

The golden-yellow pollen, as well as the nectar, constitute a food source as winter approaches, even though yields cannot be abundant, given the limited extent of flowering areas and the less favourable flowering period for foraging (reduced bee colonies, lower temperatures). For the same reasons, the nectar collected by bees cannot produce a monofloral honey of this species, but is stored in the hive to supplement winter reserves.