ASTERS

Summer officially drew to a close on September 22, giving way to the gentle arrival of autumn.

Is this the end for all our beautiful flowers? Of course not! Some, like the aster, stand out for their colorful late blooming. The aster (derived from a Greek word meaning star) is easily recognized by its many purple, blue, mauve or white flower heads arranged in a star shape around a yellow or mauve heart that turns reddish with age.

There are over thirty species of this plant, at least nine of which have been recorded in the park.

It's an autumn star, providing an important source of food for pollinators until the first frosts, when most other plants have lost their flowers.

Be sure to admire them in the Deschênes forest before they disappear too.

(Trans. : BA)