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growing & crawling: blue mist flower
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Blue mist flower
We all want to help our pollinators but with Autumn approaching sometimes we forget about the plants that are still going strong and feeding our sixlegged friends.
Blue Mist Flower, or 'Conoclinium coelestinum' is also called Wild Ageratum or Blue Boneset. The flower gets its common name from the delicate blue/lavender blooms that provide a lot of still necessary nectar for our pollinators in the late summer and early fall.
Blue Mist Flower is a Rappahannock area native that prefers full sun but is also shade tolerant which makes it a great plant for the home garden. Once established, this beautiful bloom will use its rhizomes to spread out to fill a space with delicate flowers that occur in flat-topped clusters at the top of the stem. The clusters can be several inches across in width. The native version of this plant can grow up to 3 feet and prefers wet soils. Though the leaves make one think it is part of the mint family, this plant shares the asteraceae family with lettuce, sunflowers, and artichokes, as well as many of our other favorite flowers!
While this plant doesn't have any medicinal or culinary uses for humans, it provides a sweet snack for bees, birds, butterflies, and native insects in the fall. It is also an excellent addition to landscaping and wildflower areas. Come by Downtown Greens to check it out!
By janet douberly
Janet Douberly is Program Coordinator at Downtown Greens. learn more about things growing & crawling in Fxbg, check out our Facebook & Instagram.
