Sunday, May 4, 2014

Native Plants I Love

Amsonia hubrichtii (common name: Threadleaf Blue Star)

Blue star is a showy, three-season perennial that is finally starting to get the attention I think it deserves.  From winter dormancy, foliage emerges in early spring, and the narrow, strappy leaves resemble those of the true lily from a distance. In April and May, clusters of powder-blue, star-shaped flowers appear atop stems that grow 2-3 feet tall.  

Terminal flower clusters are made up of dozens of individual blossoms.

During summer, the bright green foliage makes a nice backdrop for later flowering plants, and the waving, feathery stalks provide nice movement in the garden. I have a handful of these running in a curved line through a front garden bed, because in addition to their gorgeous early flowers, blue star does this in the fall:

absolutely spectacular as a mass planting

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