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Flowers have had a close relationship with mankind since time immemorial. They are cultivated in gardens, given as gifts, used for various celebrations and also for religious purposes.

Aster flowers are among the most popular variety of flowers with a long history. Aster flowers have tiny blossoms that look like stars. They bloom in a variety of colors like white, red, purple, lavender and blue. The flower head is always yellow irrespective of the color of the petals. The name aster originates from the Greek word for star `Aster’. This flower belongs to the Asteraceae family.

Aster is originally found in Eurasia. This flower is also seen in the forests of North America and Southern Europe. This flower has been around for almost 4,000 years.

The flower has over 600 species with many sub-varieties. Asters bloom during late summer and autumn months. Aster flowers are also found in spiky varieties and bloom in many colors. These flowers are also known as starworts, frost flowers or Michaelmas daisies.

Aster flowers have varied medicinal uses as a solution for problems like a hangover, digestion, and epilepsy.

Having a long history means that there are many meanings associated with aster flowers. Aster flower meanings differ in various cultures. Let’s look at the different meanings of aster flowers.

Aster flower meanings

As mentioned earlier, the origins of aster flower can be traced back to thousands of years. Asters were among the primary flowers cultivated by mankind. They belong to the daisy family. The Greek and Roman civilization associated aster flowers with gods. It was common to use aster flowers for altar decoration during those periods.

Aster flower meaning is associated with love, loyalty, wisdom, light and power. Aster flower meaning is concealed in its star-like shape. Wishes, hopes and dreams have been traditionally linked with stars. Giving aster as a gift is a way to express a wish or a dream.

In numerology, aster is linked to the number 9. This global number denotes the complete cycle.

Aster flower meaning according to their colors

White aster

The white aster means true loyalty to your lover throughout your lifetime. White aster symbolizes everlasting love. Gifting aster to your lover is equal to saying “we cannot be torn apart by anything. I will love you even after death”.

Yellow aster

Those who have committed infidelity in their relationship can use this flower to make amends. Yellow aster is an appropriate flower to express remorse and promise a beginning. Gifting aster flowers conveys your guilt and wish to apologize.

Pink aster

Pink aster flower meaning is linked to tender feelings. Gifting pink aster is a good way to convey to your lover the message that you will never betray them. Pink aster flowers make for perfect gifts on occasions like Valentine’s Day.

Red aster

Red aster resembles passion. This flower is a good way to convey your feelings of lust to your lover. This gift also sends the message that you won’t have this emotion for anyone else.

Purple aster

Purple aster denotes romantic emotions. It communicates the message that your mind and body belong solely to your lover. Purple aster flower meaning is associated with intelligence, nobility and grandeur. Purple asters are the most commonly used aster flowers.

Aster flower meaning according to personality traits

Aster flowers have different meanings connected with personality traits like charm, patience, elegance, discerning, reminiscence, and variation.

Charm- Aster flowers look charming, and they convey the same message to the receiver. This is an appropriate gift to the lady whom you consider pretty.

Patience- This flower portrays patience. Aster flower is the perfect gift for someone in need of patience. This meaning, which comes from ancient cultures, is relevant till today.

Elegance- Aster flower is a suitable gift for the tender and graceful person in your life. They make excellent gifts for sophisticated ladies.

Discerning- This flower is thought to represent a temperament that is amiable, sympathetic and delicate. A person who has the above qualities will be able to appreciate a gift of aster flowers.

Reminiscence- Aster flower meaning is also linked with remembering departed souls. These flowers are placed on graves. They are an appropriate choice when we want to say farewell to people who will no longer be part of our lives.

Variation- Aster flowers are available in a variety of colors. Depending on the color, they become suitable gifts for every occasion.

Aster flower meaning in various cultures

Ancient Greek myth associates the birth of aster flowers with the tears of the Greek goddess Astrea. Legend has it that she burst into tears when Pandora opened a box containing the evils of humans. Her tears turned into aster flowers.

Some Greek myths associate aster flowers with Greek God Virgo. Virgo was disheartened due to the absence of stars in the sky. This made her cry. Aster flowers bloomed in places when her tears fell to the ground.

There is another story about the origins of aster flowers. King Aegeus’s son Theseus made his mind to indulge in a solo fight with Minotaur. He made a pledge to fly with a white flag to Athens to signal his victory. Theseus emerged triumphant in the war. When he was returning home, he forgot his vow to replace the black flag with the white one. Seeing the black flag, King Aegeus presumed his son to be dead and committed suicide. When his blood fell to the ground, they became aster flowers.

Ancient Greek people believed that aster flowers were capable of scaring away snakes and evil spirits wandering near the house. The smell of burnt aster flowers was believed to keep serpents from wandering near the house.

Ancient Romans associate aster to be the icon of Venus, the goddess of love. Romans use aster flowers to decorate their altars.

Christians have their own version of the origins of aster flower. They believed that the Virgin Mary looked at the earth and started to cry. Her tears turned into aster flowers.

Aster flower meaning is also thought to signify the end of lifecycle or death. This belief is due to the fact that the flower blooms in autumn, traditionally associated with falling leaves.

The people of England and Germany feel that aster flowers have magical qualities. The flower is a usual ingredient in magic potions.

Aster flower meaning is associated with the month of September in the United States. This flower is also considered the ideal gift for your spouse on your 20th wedding anniversary.

French people associate aster flower with the eye of Christ. In France, it is usual to place these flowers on the graves of martyred soldiers with a wish for a different outcome of the battle.

The Chinese use aster flowers for herbal medicines.

Some people interpret the gift of aster flowers as a message of the giver being unsure of the receivers’ faithfulness.

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Aster flower meaning according to Cherokee legend

The people of the Cherokee tribe have an interesting story about the origins of the aster flower. According to legend, a couple of tribal warriors got into a conflict over hunting places. They arrived in a village and killed the residents of the village.

Only two young sisters who had gone to the woods escaped alive. The terrified girls started looking for the Lady of Herbs. She had god gifted powers to make magical potions. The sisters fell asleep on grass as soon they reached her place.

The lady of Herbs sees the sleeping girls and guessed their future. To save them, she poured her magic potion on the girls and sheltered them with leaves. The two sisters had morphed into flowers the following morning. One of the sisters turned into a flower resembling a blue star- it was called aster flower. The other sister turned to the golden stick.

Aster flower trivia

  • Asters are good for desert landscaping since they are drought resistant.
  • The seeds of Bushy aster species have the shape of parachutes and are carried away by winds.
  • When used as cut flowers, they last up to two weeks in a vase.
  • This flower has a common name aster across the world in various languages like Swedish, Spanish, French and Dutch.
  • In countries such as Denmark and Holland, aster flowers are used for windowsill decorations.

Growing Aster flowers

If all the above discussion is prompting you to cultivate aster flowers in your garden, then go ahead. These beautiful flowers are not demanding and easy to grow. Aster flowers require plenty of sunlight in morning and evening hours. They prefer shadows during the harsh daylight. They require regular water but you must desist from over-watering.

Of all the aster flower meanings found in various countries, kindness, love and elegance are the common positive element linked to aster flowers. Due to the positive meanings of aster flowers, they have a wide variety of uses. They are extremely popular when used in gift bouquets. They can be used as cut flowers. They blend in well in gardens as well as floral arrangements.