Wisconsin’s prairies and roadsides are dotted with soft purple asters this time of year — one of the final bursts of color before frost. These late bloomers are more than pretty faces: they provide vital nectar for bees and migrating butterflies when most other flowers have faded.

If you’re foraging, skip harvesting from roadsides (they gather too much runoff). Instead, admire them or gather a few blossoms from clean, open meadows. Traditionally, asters were used in teas and smokes by Native peoples to ease the spirit and settle the breath after illness — though today, they’re better known as a sign that autumn has truly arrived.

🍂 Seasonal Tip: When nights cool, try drying petals of asters, goldenrod, and yarrow together. The mix makes a lovely fall potpourri that carries that last scent of wild summer indoors.

💧 Hydrating Salve

As the air turns dry, remember your skin’s needs change too. Our Dandelion + Beeswax blend helps seal in moisture after a day in the wind.

$20 / 2 oz tin · Available at everwoodbotanicals.com