Conoclinium coelestinum (Blue Mistflower)

A vigorous, late-season colonizing groundcover, blue mistflower delivers a genuinely distinctive powder-blue bloom right as most other wildflowers are fading - an excellent, deer-resistant fit for erosion control and naturalized moist-soil plantings where its spreading habit is an asset rather than a liability.

Species Overview

Conoclinium coelestinum is a rhizomatous perennial in the Asteraceae family, native to eastern North America. It grows 1 to 3 feet tall and spreads readily to form colonies. The plant produces clusters of fluffy, lavender-blue flowers in late summer and fall, attracting butterflies and other pollinators. It prefers moist, well-drained soils and full sun to partial shade.

Application

• Colonizing groundcover for moist, naturalized landscapes
• Erosion control on moist soils
• Late-season pollinator habitat - blooms into fall when few other flowers remain
• Rain garden and pond-edge plantings
• Deer-pressured sites

Growing Conditions / Specification Data

• Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
• Soil/Moisture Tolerance: Moist, fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soils
• Growth Rate: Rapid - spreads aggressively by rhizome and self-seeding
• Plant Type: Forb
• Mature Height: 1-2 ft. (some sources cite up to 6 ft.; see flags)
• Fall Color: Insignificant/None
• Bloom Color / Period: Blue, Purple; August-October
• Native Range: Central and southeastern United States
• Hydrology: Mesic-Moist
• Root Depth: Shallow (Under 12 in.)
• Salinity Tolerance: Low
• Drought Tolerance: Moderate
• Flood Tolerance: Moderate - Tolerates moist to periodically wet soil, though not a true wetland obligate.
• Shade Tolerance: Tolerant
• Growth Habit: Spreading - vigorous rhizomatous spreader
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-9
• Deer Resistance: Yes (Rarely Damaged)
• Pollinator Value: Larval host, supports moths, supports butterflies

Planting Guidance

• Spreads aggressively by rhizome and self-seeding - site with room to spread, or plan to thin in early spring to control size on smaller sites.