The last wildflowers
The last wildflowers of summer are blooming in Vermont. They are asters. These purple ones have a yellow center. The purple asters that bloom all summer, which do not have a yellow center, are called knapweed. Knapweed is considered noxious and invasive—but the honeybees and bumble bees absolutely love it. And it blooms all summer long! The knapweed is all brown now except for a few that grew back after getting mowed. The other wild aster blooming now is this delicate white one. These purple and white asters, along with the goldenrod, are the last flowers we’ll see before the leaves start to turn—and the goldenrod is already going to seed. It’s almost foliage season.