Latin plant names are often useful to avoid confusion between plants with similar common names.  Sometimes though these botanical names are a source of confusion themselves.

The tall, dark-stemmed, lilac-blue daisy (above) is Symphyotrichum laeve ‘Calliope’.

 

This lower-growing plant, smothered with wide, lavender-blue flowers is Aster frikartii ‘Mönch’.

Taxonomists have discovered that they’re not closely related, hence Calliope’s new tongue twister of a name, but to a gardener they’re still different forms of an autumn garden favourite: Michaelmas daisies.

The two photos were taken (between the showers) today in Spittal’s Seafield Community Park.