Susan is also blogging at GardenRant.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. Then it looks lovely all summer til it knocks your socks off again in the fall (photo below taken at the Scott Arboretum in November).
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.
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.
Location Matters
My test garden is in the Washington, D.C. area, Zone 7A. Have any comments you'd like to see included about this plant? Send 'em along.