Sun and Storm
Photo by Joyce Davell
Click to enlarge
What's happening in Golden today?
Events for Monday, Sep. 1st
- All day - CURRENT EXHIBITS AT THE MUSEUMS
- All day - Live Workouts with Community Center Pros
- All day - Golden History Tours
- All day - Community Center CLOSED for Maintenance
- 5-8PM - Monday Market
- 6-9PM - Teach Me to Play! Mondays
- 6:30PM - Movement Monday Running Club
For more information, click the item above or visit the Golden Today Calendar
What’s Blooming Along Golden’s Trails? Smooth White and Blue Asters!
Figure 1. Left: “Smooth White Aster” — Symphyotrichum porteri (A. Gray) G.L. Nesom. Right: “Smooth Blue Aster” — Symphyotrichum laeve (L.) Á. Löve & D. Löve var. geyeri (A. Gray) G.L. Nesom.
By Tom Schweich
Along the trails of every Golden open space look for a low (18 inches) shrub with white aster-like flowers. Feel the stems; if they are smooth, you have found the Smooth White Aster — Symphyotrichum porteri (A. Gray) G.L. Nesom. (If the stems are hairy, you may have found either White Prairie Aster or White Heath Aster.)
A reason to pay attention to Smooth White Aster is its limited distribution, right along the Front Range of Colorado, with just a few sneaking over the border north into Wyoming, and a few more sneaking south over the border into New Mexico.
Our plant was first recognized by Thomas Porter in the Synopsis of the Flora of Colorado, which he wrote with John M. Coulter in 1874, though he put the name Aster ericoides var. strictus on it. Asa Gray, MD, the most influential nineteenth-century North American botanist, while analyzing all the sunflower family for his forthcoming (1884) Syntopical Flora of North America, recognized our plant as a distinct species and named it Aster porteri, in honor of Thomas Porter.
The definition and recognition of what is an Aster and what is not has long been confusing. Even Dr. Gray struggled with Aster. Late in his life, he wrote (quoted from Weakley, 2004, see below):
I am half dead with Aster. … Here I work and work, but make no headway at all. I can’t tell what are species and how to define any of them … I was never so boggled … If you hear of my breaking down utterly, and being sent to an asylum, you may lay it to Aster, which is a slow and fatal poison …
Now I don’t feel so bad when I struggle to identify asters and aster-like flowers.
More recently, DNA studies showed that most of the North American “asters” form a distinct group that is separate from the Eurasian asters. Guy Nesom (1994) selected the name Symphyotrichum to apply to one group of North American “asters” including our plant: Symphyotrichum porteri (A. Gray) G.L. Nesom. The genus name Symphyotrichum comes from the Greek word "symph" which means come together and "trich" or hair in reference to the hairy looking flower anthers. Even though the scientific name has changed, we still refer to them with their common name as a type of Aster.
Smooth White Aster is adventive in Golden gardens, and I have several that have found their own way into mine.
Since we are talking about “smooth asters,” we should mention the Smooth Blue Aster — Symphyotrichum laeve (L.) Á. Löve & D. Löve var. geyeri (A. Gray) G.L. Nesom that you may find in the higher parts of Golden, such as Tin Cup Ridge, Apex Park, and the lower slopes of Lookout Mountain.
References:
Weakley, Alan S. 2004 March-April. The Curious Case of the Disappearing Asters. North Carolina Botanical Garden Newsletter, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Celebrating Labor Day
Photo by Bud Rockhill
In recognition of Labor Day, government offices (including the library) are closed. Banks are also closed, and there will be no mail delivery.
3-5PM The Mitch Lehn Folk Trio @ The Golden Mill
Live Music by The Mitch Lehn Folk Trio
Location:
The Golden Mill
1012 Ford Street (map)
Golden History: Trade, Not Cash
Early Commerce
Click to enlarge
Government-issued currency was always in short supply on the frontier. Golden’s early merchants were accustomed to accepting gold as payment, and reportedly kept small scales on hand to weigh it. They also accepted agricultural commodities in trade for other goods.
156 Years Ago
The September 1, 1869 Colorado Transcript includes several examples of “trade.” The Pacific Insurance Company accepted “Currency or Gold.” Bell’s Stone-Ware Pottery exchanged pottery for “Ranch Produce.” Clark & Doolittle took either “Greenbacks or Country Produce.”
Of course, the best offer came from George West, publisher of the Transcript:
We trust our subscribers in the country who are in arears, will not forget to set aside grain enough to liquidate our claim when they do their threshing. We shall be glad to take wheat or oats at market prices for your indebtedness or for new subscription. To those who call upon us we will furnish sacks for the purpose.
Weather
Overnight: Clear. Low around 56, with temperatures rising to around 58 overnight. West wind around 6 mph.
Labor Day: Sunny. High near 83, with temperatures falling to around 81 in the afternoon. North wind 3 to 10 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 57. Northwest wind around 6 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly Clear, 57°F
Tuesday: Sunny, 84°F
Tuesday Night: Mostly Clear, 59°F
Wednesday: Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 83°F
Wednesday Night: Mostly Clear, 57°F
Thursday: Sunny, 85°F
Thursday Night: Partly Cloudy, 57°F
Friday: Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 78°F
Friday Night: Partly Cloudy, 56°F
Saturday: Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 82°F
Saturday Night: Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Cloudy, 59°F
Sunday: Partly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 82°F
Supporters
Many thanks to the people and organizations who support What’s Happening in Golden? If you would like to support local news, please CLICK HERE!
Sponsors:
($100/month and up)
Buffalo Rose, Buglet Solar, Foothills Art Center, Golden Cultural Alliance, Miners Alley Performing Arts Center, The Golden Mill, Golden Chamber of Commerce, Golden History Tours, Miners Saloon, Golden Hayride Outpost, Unite Fitness, Tom Reiley, Michael Mason, Colorado Railroad Museum, and Goosetown Station
Friends:
($50-99.99/month or $550/yr)
Tall Pines Painting, Baby Doe’s Clothing, Goozell Yogurt & Coffee Paul Haseman, Donna Anderson, Carol & Doug Harwood, Stephanie Painter, Greg Poulos, Ann Norton & Jonathan Storer, Mary & Don Parker, Saré Merrigan, The Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum, and Joy Brandt
Supporters:
($25-49.99/month or $250/yr)
Laura King and Scott Wilson, Bobby German and Alison McNally, Forrest Jones, Barry & Liz Bettis, Cheryl & Tom Schweich, Marjorie Sloan, Chris and Joyce Davell, Rick Flint, Forrest Jones, Cynthia Merrill Tamny, Stephen Pero, Meg Van Ness & Steve Kalasz, Steve & Karla Schaefer, Bud Rockhill, Steve Enger, Kristie Brice & Mike Schwartz, The Golden Hotel, Kurt & Janet Siegfried, Ella Lyons & Jeanne Fritch, Robert Thresher, Tonie Mattox, and Centennial State Wealth Advisors
Members:
($10-24.99/month or $110/yr)
Brad Miller & Julie Bartos, Holly Thomas, Jim and LouAnne Dale, Ann Pattison, Thomas Hoffman, Carol Abel, Brian Quarnstrom, Sandra Curran, Bobby German and Alison McNally, Kathy Smith, Karen Smith, Carlos & Nancy Bernal, Robert Storrs, Michele Sannes, Elaine Marolla, Dixie Termin & Ron Miller, E Tom Hughes, Crystal M Culbert, Patrick A. Madison, Alice Madison & Jim Kalivas, Deb Goeldner, Christopher Ball, 6th Chair Home Services, Dot & Eric Brownson, Rosemary Coffman, Emeline Paulson, Sandy Schneider, Mark and Cathy Pattridge, Cheryl G Leidich, Jen Rutter, Frani R Bickart, Jennings and Litz, Bill Sedgeley, Nancy Hughes, Justin L Wade, Kathi Eggers, Traci Case, Donna Owen, Leslie D Lutz, Karen Oxman, Catherine Skokan, Ross Fraser & KC Gilliland, Lynne Haigh, Elizabeth Hilliard, Frank Young & Terre Deegan-Young, Kathy Hirons & Jack Markin, Jess & Anthony Monasterio, Heather Duncan, Lee Ann & Pete Horneck, Carol Cameron, Cheryl Williamson, San Daugherty, Jim Garner, John and Carol McEncroe, the Golden Welcome Center, the Golden Transcript, Koshare Eagle, Ken and Colleen Krantz, Traci Neuman Lacey, Jo Barber, Jamie Cookinham, Kermit Shields, Meridee Cecil, Vicki Olson, Colleen & Michael Ramey, Nancy & Pete Torpey, Jax Baker, Simon Maybury, Rose McLaughlin, Cameron Chambers, Joyce Gravina, Patrick Klein, Barb Robie, and Mary Rains, Richard Caldwell, Janice Waring, Sam & Marilyn Baron, Carmen Johnson, Mary Eiberger, Kevin Nichols, Ed & Carol Freza, Laura and Curtis Moore, Ruth Hund, Shelley & Jerry Devitt, Eileen Masterson, Kate Olivier, and Amy Korengut
Followers:
($5-9.99/month)
Golden Community Garden, Lora Haimes, Mariane Erickson, J.J. Fraser, Mel Perkins, Bob Hamilton, Steve Stevens, Vicki Olson, Emily Kurzinski, Nanette Johnson, and Peyton Gibson
