Symphyotrichum jessicae
Well, I thought the show was all over for the year (which is why I did a weed post), but I was wrong! I had thrown a five-gallon bucket of water at my Jessica's asters about a month ago, and then we had a couple of minor rainstorms, and I was out in that part of the prairie last week, and darned if they weren't blooming! This is another plant whose scientific name appears to have changed. Once known as Aster jessicae, apparently it is now Symphyotrichum jessicae.
This is a rare species, native only to the Palouse region, in Washington and Idaho. My two monster examples came from the annual Idaho Native Plant Society sale several years ago, and they obviously like it here.
What a cool end-of-season surprise!
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