I was surprised to find this pretty little flower blooming among some other plants and weeds during November and into the first few days of December. After much research I’ve come to the conclusion that it must be a type of Baby White Aster. It’s a very tiny plant, only about five inches in height, and I’m pretty sure the majority of its foliage is hidden beneath the other greenery surrounding it. Each flower appears to have exactly fourteen petals. I’m always amazed at how some plants actually thrive through the sub-freezing temperatures of winter while others wither at just the mention of cold weather!
The Transmutational Garden 
Very sweet indeed, could it be ‘Monte Cassino’?
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They do appear very similar, but the pictures I’ve seen of the Monte Cassino show a lot more petals and the descriptions all say it’s a bushy clump that can grow up to three feet in height! This little one could very easily be missed because it’s so small. Whatever it is, I hope it plans on staying around. Hopefully it will spread either by root or seed.
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A happy surprise so late in the year, a brave little plant!
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Probably more brave than I would be! It did brighten the little area it decided to pop up in.
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There are so many little asters that show up in fall, then hang on into winter. If you have time (and it might take a bunch of time!), you could peruse the Lady Bird Johnson plant database and see if there’s a match. I’ve done that, with varying degrees of success. Regardless, it’s a lovely little thing this time of year.
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I did a quick cursory search in the database before deciding I needed to get busy doing other things. I really hate to pull myself away from anything to do with the yard and garden, but housework called. I also figured I needed to write my Christmas cards and get them in the mail before Christmas has come and gone!
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That’s pretty, but I don’t know which variety it is. I grow ‘Monte Cassino’, which I call ‘Twinkling Stars’ and it flowered earlier than usual this year. Here it is at the beginning of October. xx
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Wow! That’s a beautiful plant you have. I think the tiny plant that I have must have grown from a seed that blew in from somewhere or that a bird dropped. The flowers have disappeared. Hopefully it’ll drop some seeds and multiply this coming year.
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Thanks. If it is an aster, which it certainly looks like, then it’s a perennial so will die back and new growth will appear in the spring rather than reseed. Either way it should reappear next year. xx
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Thanks for the info. I’ll look forward to seeing them again next year.
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