紫菀

紫菀係菊科下嘅一個屬嘅多年生開花植物，大約有 180 個種，多數種嘅紫菀分佈於歐亞大陸，亦都有啲種分佈喺北美。多種嘅紫菀會開鮮紫色嘅花。呢啲花俾好多人覺得佢哋好靚，所以紫菀係一種常用嘅觀賞花。

紫菀嘅鮮艷紫色同星形俾好多園藝愛好者覺得佢哋好靚，而且又容易吸引蝴蝶同蜜蜂，所以玩園藝嘅人好多都鍾意種紫菀：紫菀擅長喺夏天涼爽同潮濕嘅氣候當中生存，而喺比較熱嘅氣候，玩園藝嘅人會將紫菀種喺有陰影嘅地方，等佢哋免受強烈日照破壞；一般喺春天種咗，紫菀就會喺夏天同秋天開花；紫菀係多年生植物，即係話一樖紫菀能夠過冬，並且生存多過一年嘅時間；順帶一提，紫菀另一樣出名嘅係佢哋對霜有相當強嘅抗性。

喺日本，紫菀係一種頗有人氣嘅花，而喺日本花語當中，紫菀係「唔會忘記你」噉嘅意思。

常見品種 

Aster ageratoides – rough-surface aster
Aster alpinus – alpine aster
Aster amellus – European Michaelmas daisy, Italian aster
Aster arenarius – beach-sand aster
Aster fastigiatus – highly-branch aster
Aster glehnii – Ulleungdo aster
Aster hayatae – Korean montane aster
Aster hispidus – bristle-hair aster
Aster iinumae – perennial false aster
Aster incisus – incised-leaf aster
Aster lautureanus – connected aster, mountain aster
Aster linosyris – goldilocks aster
Aster maackii – Maack's aster
Aster magnus – magnus aster
Aster neoelegans
Aster spathulifolius – seashore spatulate aster
Aster tataricus – Tatarian aster, Tatarinow's aster
Aster tonglingensis
Aster tongolensis
Aster tripolium – sea aster, seashore aster

菊花
櫻花

攷

參考文獻 
Flora of North America Editorial Committee, ed (2006). Magnoliophyta: Asteridae, Part 7: Asteraceae, Part 2. Flora of North America. 20. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195305647.

拎 

Ontario Wildflowers website Lots of info about Asters.
Pictures of Aster flowers thriving in the autumn sunshine.

菊科