White Heath Aster
(Symphyotrichum ericoides (L.)

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There are two colorations of it in my meadow; one white and the other with a pinkish tint.

It is a tall woody shrub. Grows 4-5 ft tall. In winter it goes dormant and the stiff woody branches are very scratchy and can bring blood. The pioneers used the branches to make brooms for sweeping out their sod houses, called "soddies". To give you an idea of what the branches look like when dormant, the brooms looked like a witches brooms.

Here is a link that might be useful: Here is the White Heath Aster that is invading my meadow

Your neighbors have the right to manage their property the way they want...they don't have the right to manage your property.

I'm sorry your neighbors are so ignorant of land management priciples. Perhaps you could have a word with them? Your little prairie sounded wonderful, and, with any luck and some more seed, it will re-sprout.

I've got all kinds of seed if you need it. Not acre's worth, but a start.

I HATE Heath Aster! GAK!

ahughes798,

I looked at your seed list of natives. Impressive. (like your humour, too)
I have some Coreopsis tinctoria (not bought - harvested off wildflowers found growing on my property). I have lots of sunny yellow Helenium (Sneezeweed), lots of Thoroughwort, 'White Boneset', Native Bee Balm, Inland Sea Oats (likes growing in part-shade), Oklahoma Yucca, 'Adam's Needles', and native white yarrow, & White Prickly poppy (naturalized plant originally from Mexico); Sacred Thistle (Bull thistle) and some Illinois Bundleflower, and stately Flannel-leaf Mullein. I have beautiful white-flowering Penstemon, Prairie Gentians and I think I have Silene Regia.

Most of these grow on my property. The rest grow near here, within a mile or two. I try to get only the real deal - the true natives. I recently got some wildflower seed from a person in Wisconsin.
Would love to have some of your Baptisia, the lovely Boltonia asteroides; any Liatris you have, the Turtlehead seed (yes, yes), and Compass plant (it grows about 10 miles from here alongside the highway, but no place there to pull off.) Really cool looking leaves pop up overnight in spring.

Any seed you would like to share or trade is much appreciated. Beats hiking through chigger infested weeds and poison ivy and picking up ticks, and ever so much more fun (although not as exciting) than stepping on Copperheads, any day!

Thanks for your imput!
SweetAnnie4u

Your property sounds like paradise. My husband and I have 10 acres in Central Virginia. We are about to start building our home on it. It used to be a cow pasture, but is now used for grass for feeding the cattle. I really want the kind of meadow you describe. You sound very knowledgable about your land's history and your environment and about wildflowers as well.I hope I meet someone like you here who is interested in being a good steward of her land. I understand when you say your neighbors may not appreciate your "funny California" ways and ideas. Where I live, the area has become densely developed in one particular area. While this area provides major income and employment for locals, there is a love/hate relationship as the area becomes less rural. I spoke to a woman in the little town who says she definitely feels like an outsider after living there for six years. On the other hand, several local people have chatted me up at the post office. They were curious as to who we were and where we came from, but quite friendly. One gentleman told me he lives "down in the holler". I almost asked him, "where's that?", but I didn't want to seem ignorant, but I keep looking around so I'll know the holler when I see it. All good wishes to you. Please post as many pictures as possible, as you will be an inspiration to me and others.

Just some food for thought. Why does it seem that so many of us have little islands of paradise surounded by people who just don't get it? What if a few hundred of us were neighbors.... what would that be like? If we were neighbors I would be thrilled to see your prairie! I would also help you build a grass waterway through your property to chanel the water through with less damage to the prairie plants. I have been dealing with farm runoff for years now. I found its best to just send the water on its way. Don't give up on your prairie or your neighbors, just try to put things in favor of the prairie.

I am purchassing a parcel of land next mine just to dig up tile lines (from my land). Then I'll build a berm to keep farm runoff out of my wetlands and hold the clean water there. The local people think I'm nuts for spending time and money just for nature. But the wildlife I have now is priceless.

good morning sweetannie, yes, it does sound like paradise to me too - and I would be honored if I were your neighbor to come over and work for free and learn all I could
Sigh, that is not to be.

You know what is said about Paradise; "they took paradise and put up a parking lot." Of course your neighbors have a right to manage their property, but there may be regulations in your area on impact to surrounding land, check into that.

I bought my little semi-rural plot in a teeny-tiny town a year and a half ago. It is sloped, and right at the highest edge are 4 evergreens. They are planted too close to each other... but they were mine, I wouldn't dream of cutting down 4 mature trees unless there were a pressing and logical reason. Well, two had quite a few brown tips and within a year ALL FOUR were dead as the proverbial doornail.
I had an expert in to look at them, no - not borers - somebody has poisoned them. He said "someone has poisoned them, likely with copper." I look to the houses on higher ground and try to figure who may have wanted them gone, and who should PAY FOR THEIR REMOVAL, and there are no answers. I've tried posting them as free wood on CraigsList, posted on local bulletin boards, called tree services, etc.

I haven't even 1/100th of the land you have, but as I said - it's MINE and I love it desperately already. I have my tiny meadow out back which slopes from my four huge dead brown trees gently down to the house. I've seeded with Crimson Clover, cone flower, and fifteen other wildflowers and I'd seeing tiny results. The neighbors, of course, seem to hate it. They were used to parking two cars on the top edge of it. Pfui. The only one who actually said anything is the house directly across the alley from me. Four dead trees stand between he and I. Ever since he (lightly) complained I have looked at him and wondered, how much did four tall trees and a neglected patch of meadow annoy him? Hmmm?
GH-

"Hollow is term, pronounced "Holler" primarily used in Appalachia, for an area between two hills or mountains--similar to a valley-- that often is accompanied by a stream. Family clusters often develop in this holler"
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Think of it this way - maybe you are surrounding them. I have some neighbors who are real country folk and they are easier to get along with than the newbies who like paving everything over and erasing all the wild parts.

My one neighbor, a great old guy from the hills, invited me into his huge vegetable garden. He had weeds knee high around the plants. I joked and told him the city inspector will get him for those weeds and he was taken back. He asked how could we grow a garden without weeds? He didn't have a need to spray, or hoe down to bare soil. He came from a background where you planted to live, and you didnt break your back weeding the tomatoes.

Farmers have a problem in they need to produce a whole lot to make what non farmers make sitting at a desk. They get sucked in and it's hard to break away. They fear any changes that might cut their income flow and property tax money. Who wouldn't. The real way to change the farmers, is to change the demand for their goods. When enough people demand organic only, those same farmers will jump right on the band wagon.

It's a battle but try to think kind thoughts of your neighbors. It may take years but you may convert them one day and that would be a gift for all. The worse thing is to come in fighting. Got to admit though, I wish my herbicide nut neighbor would move. He has killed part of my drainage ditch into a toxic black swamp with his insane spraying. But insane is the word so I just watch and wait. I figure cancer will get him soon if nothing else as he lives to spray.

I know how lovely that ditch could be without him. The part up from him is like a slow moving stream, full of life, with birds flying down to drink.