Are you bored of plain old texting? Are you looking for a more romantic way to communicate? Try sending some aster flowers! This month, we’re talking about the aster, September’s birth flower, and its many uses, including to send messages. Let’s open up the message from history!
Aster flowers are small and almost daisy-like, except that they come in almost any colour imaginable, and they’re actually a part of the sunflower family! Because of their many colours, asters were used to send “messages” in the Victorian era. This is called “floriography,” or simply used coded messages through flowers. For example, pink represented love, and red symbolised dedication and devotion. Floriography is slowly coming back into fashion, and the American television show Bones used a form of floriography in the first episode of series 8.
Asters have often been used in medicine. Native Americans believed that it was good for many different types of injuries and ailments, from swelling to indigestion. Today, asters are used as a natural remedy for indigestion, and they can be ground to dust for creams or pills, or even made into tea. In addition, the flower was smoked and burned to scare off negative energy and evil spirits in the area.
Another name for asters is the Michaelmas daisy, as their flowering happens at the same time as Michaelmas Day. Michaelmas Day is also called The Feast of Michael and All Angels. It signifies the end of the harvest season, as well as the beginning of autumn and the start of shorter days, and it is a Christian holiday. Other names for asters include starworts and frost flowers.
Asters are not only used for September birthdays and floriography; they are also given for 20th wedding anniversaries. The flower generally means love, wisdom and faith. However, in the Victorian era, the aster symbolised daintiness, patience, and charm.
So the next time you want to switch up your communication style, try sending some asters! Happy September!
