After the colorful carpet of spring blooms has faded, and before the fall fireworks in the treetops, fields and meadows in Ohio explode with bright hues of September wildflowers.
These fall flowers are not as dainty as their springtime cousins. They have to be tall with deep roots to compete with the surrounding grasses for water, nutrients, sunlight and pollinators. For monarch butterflies that migrate each fall to sunny Mexico, these late bloomers are a welcome sight and a wonderful food source for their long journey.
Four late blooming members of the sunflower family -- asters, golden rod, ironweed and Joe Pye weed make up the beautiful purple and yellow blossoms that dress up September afternoons. These wildflowers are perennials, meaning that most of the plant dies back in the winter, but grows back each spring.
Asters look similar to their daisy cousins, with smooth branching stems up to four feet tall and many flower heads growing on each stem. Aster blossoms can be pink, pale blue, violet, or white with a reddish or yellow disk. Asters are commonly found in wooded areas and overgrown fields. They bloom from August through October. The late-summer caterpillars of several species of moths rely completely on asters for food.
Asters are sometimes called Christmas daisies because they bloom so late in the year. The word aster comes from the Latin and Greek words for star. In France the aster is known as “eye of Christ” and in Germany as starwort. Through history, asters have been a symbol of love and elegance.
A very old Greek legend has it that the aster was created out of star dust when the star constellation called Virgo, looking down from the night sky, would weep. Asters were sacred to the ancient Greeks, and wreaths made from blossoms were placed on temple alters during festive occasions. Often asters were burned to keep away evil spirits.
The Greek poet Virgil wrote that boiling aster leaves in wine and placing them close to a hive of bees would improve the honey. Ancient Greek doctors would use aster as an antidote for snake bites. A “mishmash” of asters was thought to cure the bite of a mad dog.
Goldenrod has sweet smelling yellow blossoms bunched in long spear-shaped clusters. Goldenrod can be found growing in open areas, thickets, and along roadsides starting in June through November. They can grow from two feet to nearly five feet tall.
When the goldenrod flowers are in bloom they produce a large amount of nectar which attracts pollinating insects such as bumblebees, honeybees, and even flies that carry the heavy, sticky goldenrod pollen from flower to flower. Many hay fever sufferers blame goldenrod for their misery, although the real culprit is ragweed, which blooms at the same time but has light, dry pollen that easily blows in the wind.
Goldenrod is also popular with hungry caterpillars, but the goldenrod plant defends itself by creating a leathery pouch or gall around the insect to keep it from moving around the plant. Wiley woodpeckers may find these galls and break them open for a treat.
Inventor Thomas Edison once made rubber from goldenrod plants, which he shared with his friend, auto-maker Henry Ford, who made tires from the goldenrod rubber.
Native Americans used goldenrod as an ingredient in steam baths to treat pain and drive evil spirits from a sick person’s body. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, goldenrod powder was exported from America to London for its healing powers and sold for a high price. Goldenrod is a traditional kidney tonic, and is still popular in herbal medicine.
There is an old saying that “he who carries goldenrod will find treasure.” Over the years, goldenrod has served as a symbol for treasure, good fortune, and going back to school after the summer break.
Joe Pye Weed
Joe Pye weed is easy to spot, with its large rounded clusters of hundreds of pinkish purple flowers on a sturdy stem that may grow as tall as six feet. Joe Pye weed can be found in bloom from August until late September in low spots with moist soils. Some of Ohio’s most beautiful butterflies, including the monarch and tiger swallowtail, love to flit around Joe Pye weed and sip its nectar. The seeds of this plant are a treat for white-footed mice, mallard ducks and wild turkey.
The flowers and stem have a pleasant vanilla odor, which may explain the native American belief that a brave who stuck a piece of the plant in his mouth before he went visiting a young lady was sure to win her heart. Many Indian tribes used Joe Pye weed for healing and magic, as a love potion, a treatment for wounds, a strengthening wash for children, and a good luck charm. Joe Pye weed was also used to improve the appetite and soothe nerves, and if used regularly, the crushed leaves of the plant were said to give anyone beautiful skin. It gets its unusual name for a healer named Joe Pye who used the plant to cure typhoid fever.
Tall ironweed, the most common species in Ohio, has clusters of 10 to 30 deep purple blossoms that form a flat top of intense color above a stem that may grow to 7" in height. Ironweed blooms in August into October. Tall ironweed is often found in pastures or fields with rich soils, while New York ironweed, which is a bit shorter with more blooms, prefers moist streambanks and open woods.
The plant gets it name from its tough stem, which easily survives the winter. Ironweed stems have been used to make sturdy frames for kites. During Ohio’s frontier days, the roots of ironweed were believed to relieve pain, and were given to women after childbirth to restore good health. In the mid 1800s, ironweed was a folk remedy for fevers and pneumonia. After the Civil War, freed slaves showed their neighbors how to make a snakebite remedy from ironweed.
Keep a lookout this fall for these lovely late blooming wildflowers as you take a stroll through your local Ohio State Park.
Photos from left to right: a drawing of an Aster plant • Goldenrod plant, photo courtesy of ohio-nature.com • Ironweed plant, photo courtesy of ohio-nature.com • Joe Pye weed, photo courtesy of ohio-nature.com • close-up of Goldenrod blooms • Ironweed blooms, photo courtesy of John Robbins.