While the formal plant family name is Asteraceae, its nickname is the Aster or Daisy Family. Check out the family members:
Veggies:Â lettuce, artichokes, chicory, salsify and Jerusalem artichokes
Herbs:Â German chamomile, feverfew, stevia and tarragon
Blooms:Â daisies, asters, black-eyed susans, sunflowers, chrysanthemums, coneflowers, cosmos, dahlias, goldenrod, marigold, safflower, yarrow and zinnia
Similarities: If you let some of these veggies and herbs bloom and produce seeds, you will see that their flower heads are similar to daisies. The Aster Family flowers look like one flower but are composed of many small flowers. The Aster family veggies enjoy a head start in the spring. Pollinators (birds, bees and butterflies) love the flowers in the Aster family.
Differences: While chicory and lettuce are greens, artichoke is a flower veggie and salsify and Jerusalem artichoke are root veggies. Some of the flowers are perennials and some are annuals.
Hope you didn’t miss my post on the Mallow Plant Family.
