A graceful native perennial wildflower, Blue Star (Amsonia tabernaemontana) brings soft blue, star‑shaped blooms to the late spring garden. Growing 2–3 ft. tall and 2–3 ft. wide, this clump‑forming species offers three‑season interest: blue flowers in spring, lush willow‑like foliage in summer, and golden tones in fall. Plants go winter dormant, returning reliably each year.
Thriving in full to part sun, Eastern Bluestar prefers moist to wet‑moist soils and adapts well to sand, clay, or loam. It naturally occurs in moist woodlands, streambanks, and open fields, making it an excellent choice for Florida’s rain gardens, wildflower plantings, and naturalistic landscapes. The foliage contains a milky latex, making it unpalatable to deer and other mammalian herbivores.
The blue, star‑shaped flowers attract a variety of long‑tongued pollinators, including carpenter bees, hummingbird moths, butterflies, and ruby‑throated hummingbirds. While it supports nectar feeders, it is not a larval host for monarch butterflies.
This durable perennial is also valued as a cut flower, with stems that hold well in arrangements. Its tidy, upright habit makes it suitable for wildflower gardens, borders, and pollinator plantings. Avoid ingestion—foliage is poisonous if eaten.
- Type: Perennial wildflower
- Height: 2–3 ft
- Width: 2–3 ft
- Flower: Blue, star‑shaped
- Bloom Time: Late spring
- Exposure: Full sun to part sun
- Moisture: Prefers wet‑moist soils
- Soil: Sand, clay, loam
- Wildlife Value: Attracts carpenter bees, hummingbird moths, butterflies, and ruby‑throated hummingbirds
- Herbivory: Avoided by mammalian herbivores
- Uses: Wildflower gardens, rain gardens, borders, cut flowers
- Notes: Winter dormant; poisonous foliage
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