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Blue Mistflower Wikimedia Commons
Asteraceae

Blue Mistflower

Conoclinium coelestinum

Tranquility, dreaminess, friendship.

Family
Asteraceae
Genus
Conoclinium
Native to
Eastern and central North America
Bloom season
Late Summer, Fall
Type
Herbaceous perennial
Height
30–90 cm
Sunlight
Full sun to part shade
Soil
Moist, fertile
Water
Moderate to high
Hardiness
5–10
Lifespan
Long-lived perennial

Did you know

  • Blue mistflower looks almost identical to ageratum — a tropical annual — but is a hardy native perennial sometimes called 'wild ageratum' or 'hardy ageratum'.
  • The fuzzy lavender-blue flower clusters bloom in September and October, providing critical late-season nectar when most flowers have faded.
  • Monarch butterflies adore mistflower and often mob plants during their fall migration, fueling up for the long flight to Mexico.
  • It spreads by underground rhizomes and can form impressive colonies in moist meadow conditions.
  • Like many Eupatorium relatives, it contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids that some butterflies sequester for chemical defense against predators.

Color meanings

Blue

Soft serenity

Uses

  • Rain gardens
  • Pollinator gardens
  • Naturalizing
  • Late-season borders