Bloom period April through August. This is also called: Tahoka Daisy, Tansyleaf Aster and Tansyleaf Machaeranthera. It is also sometimes called "dagger-flower" because of it's sharp-pointed leaves. This photo was taken outside of Fredericksburg, Texas - Spring 2000.
Asters hybridize so freely that even the most knowledgeable botanists have difficulty classifying them. Even so, they know that at least 20 species grow in Texas, including Texas aster, tansy aster, and annual aster. The name "aster" comes from the Greek word for "star," hence the plant's common name, star-flower. A Greek myth describes its origin. A goddess called Astrea lived on earth in the Golden Age. Later, when people became cruel, greedy, and violent, the gods, one by one, abandoned the planet. The last to leave was Astera, who became the constellation Virgo (the Virgin). In her compassion for humanity, she wept, and her tears, which fell to earth as stardust, became the starflowers.

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