Common Name: blue star
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Apocynaceae
Zone: 5 to 9
Height: 0.25 to 0.50 feet
Spread: 1.00 to 2.00 feet
Bloom Time: May
Bloom Description: Pale blue
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Ground Cover, Rain Garden
Flower: Showy
Leaf: Good Fall
Attracts: Butterflies
Tolerate: Deer, Dry Soil
Culture
Easily grown in average, moderate to medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Prefers regular moisture, but tolerates dry soils. Best performance usually occurs in full sun, but plants also grow well in areas with some light afternoon shade.
This compact cultivar needs no pruning after flowering.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Amsonia ciliata, commonly called fringed blue star or downy blue star, is a clump-forming perennial that is native from North Carolina to Florida west to Missouri, Arkansas and Texas. It is generally found in sandy soils. It typically grows to 2-3’ tall. Terminal clusters of star-like, light blue flowers bloom in mid spring (May) atop generally erect stems clad with narrowly elliptic to nearly linear, green leaves. The leaves tend to have fine hairs along their margins. Foliage turns attractive shades of yellow in fall. Stems and leaves produce a milky latex when cut or torn which protects the plant from herbivory. The blooms are attractive to butterflies and other insect pollinators.
Var. filifolia is native from southern Missouri to Florida and Texas into Mexico. It is most often found growing in sandy areas and along rocky shores. In southern Missouri, it is typically found in limestone glades, bald knobs and limestone bluff escarpments along streams in two counties in the area of the White River. This variety is distinguished from the species mainly by its narrower, linear foliage with margins that tend to be strongly revolute (rolled downward towards the underside).
Genus name honors Dr. John Amson (1698-1765?), an English physician and amateur botanist who lived and worked in Williamsburg, Virginia during the colonial period.
The specific epithet ciliata refers the fine hairs along the leaf margins. The infraspecific epithet filifolia means having thread-like leaves (narrower than those of the species).
‘Georgia Pancake’ is a nearly prostrate variety that was reportedly discovered growing in the wild in sandhills in central Georgia. It typically reaches only 4-5” tall but spreads to 24” wide forming an interesting ground cover of needle-like, soft green leaves. Tiny, pale blue flowers bloom at the branch ends in May. Foliage turns attractive shades of yellow in fall. Specific epithet means hairy-margined in reference to the fringe of hairs found on new leaves and stems of plants in this species (hence the sometimes used common name of fringed bluestar).
Problems
No known serious insect or disease problems. Deer tend to avoid this plant.
Uses
Borders, rock gardens, cottage gardens, open woodland areas, rain gardens. Best when massed. Flowers can be used in fresh cut arrangements.
Best when massed as a ground cover.