I've got an aster in full bloom right now, can't remember the variety. My goldenrods are looking really nice. I've got at least 3 native species, none of which I planted. I should sit down and key them out some day. One is the giant goldenrod, I think it's called Canada. Another is only about 2-3 ft tall and looks great. Another has more of a tufted wand appearance, simular in form to a gay feather. It's my fav.

I've got another aster 'fanny' that blooms really late...late Oct/early Nov. It's excellent in bloom and seems to last a really long time. I've had pretty good luck giving divisions of this away as it is a tilling spreader.

Other things in my yard are dittony which smells like oregano. This is one of the plants that makes "frost flowers" if our first hard freeze follows some precip. Also cooking right now is wild ageratum, Eupatorium spp., nice blue buttons which contrast beautifully with the goldenrods.

By the way, lest anybody start slamming goldenrods for their hay fever, remember that insect-pollinated plants do not cause allergies. Goldenrods just happen to bloom when the ragweed blooms. Ragweed has non-showy greenish flowers and is wind-pollinated. That's what gives some folks fits this time of year.

Happy Autumn everybody! The trees which held onto their leaves throught the drought should look mighty fine in a few weeks. So far, my post oak is the only thing that prematurely shed.

One of my favorites is aster lateriflous 'Lady in Black'. It is more like a shrub than a perennial and looks great out of bloom and in.

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This is a close up of the tiny bloom.
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