Amsonia hubrichtii/Willow Blue Star

 

Amsonia's billowy mounds just about stop traffic, even after the blooms have faded. It has that kind of impact, especially in a sizable mass.  It's native to the rocky outcrops of Arkansas and Oklahoma.

 

 

 

 

Details

• Hardy to Zones 3-9.
• Sun or partial shade, but there's better bloom and height with sun.
• Grows to 2-3 feet high and wide.
• Flowers May-June.
  

Care

• Established plants are reasonably drought-tolerant, though sources tell us that they generally prefer even moisture.
• After it blooms cut it back to 6 to 8 inches to make it bushier and prevent flopping, shaping the plant mass as you do it (making the outside and front shorter).
• Divide in spring or fall, though it shouldn't need it for many years.
• It overwinters better if not cut back to the ground in fall, so wait til early spring.

 

The changes are happening Good Information in Print

• The Well Tended Perennial Garden by Tracy DiSabato-Aust is the best-selling book on how to make your perennials healthier and better-looking.
• Encyclopedia of Perennials by Graham Rice is exhaustive and an outstanding general resource on the subject.
• The Complete Flower Gardener by Cutler and Ellis is another source I consult regularly.

 

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all content and photos are © Susan Harris unless specified otherwise