Downy Goldenrod is the couple of smaller, wand-shaped inflorescences at the far left.

At 1530' (466 m), Cadillac Mountain is the highest point on the Eastern seaboard north of Brazil. It's a barren, windswept granite dome. In fact, Mount Desert Island derives its name from the French explorers, "desert" in French simply meaning barren. We arrived just in time to watch a spectacular sunset www.flickr.com/photos/anitagould/41729258/ , & I snapped these goldenrods after it was done, so sorry about the ugly flash photography, but this was the only place I saw either of these species. Downy is supposed to be found in "open woods & sandy roadsides, mostly along coast," so maybe later in the season it will be blooming at lower altitude. But Rand's is an alpine specialty. Rand's used to be considered a separate species, but according to plants.usda.gov it has now been lumped with the western Mt. Albert Goldenrod.

Another challenge: asters! (Quibbles, kibbitzes & $0.02 of course welcome.) Many-flowered Aster has white flowers & round-tipped, spreading involucral bracts (see note). Petite but handsome -- the flower was ~.75" (~2 cm) across, the plant (inset) less than 1' hi. Growing roadside near the shore in Acadia National Park.

Another challenge: asters! (Quibbles, kibbitzes, and $0.02 of course welcome.) Changed my mind on this one; think it is probably Large-leaved rather than Schreber's. They are similar, but Large-leaved usually has violet or lavender flowers (rarely white), while Screber's is always white. Looked at this on another monitor, and can see a violet tinge, which is probably why I originally called it Large-leaved in the field. You can see how huge the lower leaf is in the inset, best viewed large (sorry, didn't have enough room to make the inset as big as I would have liked). NB: most of the lower leaves were a simple heart-shape, not lobed at the base like this one. Growing at the edge of a parking lot near the shore in Acadia National Park. IIRC the flowers are ~.75" (~2 cm) across. Formerly known as Aster macrophyllus.

Another challenge: asters! (Quibbles, kibbitzes & $0.02 of course welcome.) My book (Newcomb's) says "light blue-violet." this one does at least seem to have a tinge of color. I'm a little more troubled by the discrepancy in habitat, since the book says "dry open woods & clearings", & this one was growing pondside in Acadia National Park. Formerly called Aster undulatus.

I took goldenrod identification as a challenge on our recent trip to Maine & Nova Scotia (quibbles, kibbitzes & $0.02 of course welcome). This one was growing near a pond in Acadia National Park.

Another challenge: asters! (Quibbles, kibbitzes & $0.02 of course welcome.) This attractive species was growing pondside in Acadia National Park, flowers ~.5" (~1.5 cm) across. Formerly called Flat-topped Aster, Aster umbellatus.

The only one of these we saw in bloom, & it was growing in a crevice on a windswept, rocky headland overlooking the ocean. I was off trying to photograph it, battling sun & wind, while the ranger was giving her spiel about the history of the locale -- I hope I wasn't too rude! The juxtaposition with the lichen wasn't intentional; that's just where it happened to be nodding when I finally got an sharp shot off. Not sure how I feel about it, but at least it contrasts well.

Rand's Goldenrod (a ssp of Albert's) is the large one in front.

At 1530' (466 m), Cadillac Mountain is the highest point on the Eastern seaboard north of Brazil. It's a barren, windswept granite dome. In fact, Mount Desert Island derives its name from the French explorers, "desert" in French simply meaning barren. We arrived just in time to watch a spectacular sunset www.flickr.com/photos/anitagould/41729258/ , & I snapped these goldenrods after it was done, so sorry about the ugly flash photography, but this was the only place I saw either of these species. Downy is supposed to be found in "open woods & sandy roadsides, mostly along coast," so maybe later in the season it will be blooming at lower altitude. But Rand's is an alpine specialty. Rand's used to be considered a separate species, but according to plants.usda.gov it has now been lumped with the western Mt. Albert Goldenrod.