Bog aster

Symphyotrichum puniceum, formerly Aster puniceus and known as purplestem aster, bog aster, swamp aster or red-stalk aster, is a tall perennial herb in the family Asteraceae native to eastern North America. It ranges from the Gulf coast of Texas north to southern Ungava Bay in Quebec and from the edge of the Great Plains eastward to the Atlantic coast, growing in wet meadows, marsh edges, swamps, bog margins and damp roadside ditches. Robust, often reddish-purple stems with stiff hairs rise to 1–2 m and bear lance-shaped, clasping leaves with rough surfaces and shallow teeth. From August to October the plant produces showy heads in branching panicles, with ray florets ranging from dark blue or purple to (rarely) white, surrounding disc florets that mature from yellow or cream through pink to purple. The species is a noted late-season nectar source for native bees and migrating butterflies.