Aster is a genus of about 180 species in the family of Asteraceae, native to Eurasia.
Asters are popular perennial flowers, commonly seen in bouquets and gardens. Each flower is actually a combination of tiny tubular flowers, grouped together in a central yellow disk and surrounded by petals, the ring of ray flowers. They resemble daisies because of their shape and yellow centers.
The name “aster” is derived from the Greek word “astron”, which means “star”, because of the shape of its flowers. The name was given by the botanist Carl von Linnaeus.
Aster is a symbol of patience and elegance.
According to Greek mythology, when the god Jupiter decided to flood the earth, opening the waters of the sky and sea together, the Goddess Astraea turned into a star. When the flood waters receded she wept for the loss of lives, her tears fell to earth and the beautiful Aster flower emerged.
It’s worth mentioning that the majority of species formerly classified in genus Aster had been transferred to the other genera in the family Asteraceae in the 1990s.
This plant is used as a medicine for several therapeutic treatments. Asters are used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat coughs and other respiratory conditions, but also as a treatment for snakebites in various cultures.
French soldiers used Asters to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers.
