Chaetopappa ericoides aka White Aster, Baby-white Aster, and Rose Heath Aster loves open prairie and dry sandy soils. In other words, our drought plays to its forte. During my daily prairie flora treasure hunt, I find scattered clusters on our Llano Estacado shortgrass steppe. The patches arise from deep, creeping roots. Its ray flower petals commonly curl down in the evening and straighten by mid-morning. Edwin James records finding these hardy wild flowers along the Canadian River on the unsuccessful James Long Expedition of 1819-1820 to take control of Spanish Texas. Of course, the native civilizations of the Southwest have long been familiar with this delicate, bright spring beauty. They commonly use White Aster as a medicinal herb to treat snakebites, nose ailments, toothaches, rheumatism, and a variety of swellings.
Since we are out and about in the heat of the day, Cooper yearns for the shade of his favorite Siberian Elm thicket and I concur. The respite feels good.
© Ilija Lukić 2011
© Ilija Lukić 2011
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| 75°F High Noon (Cooper) |
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| Heath Aster Blanket |
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| White Aster Paradise |
beautiful picture and things was looking for this plant and a good picture of it and things and found this on google images.
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