Tag Archives: amsonia

Favorite plant series: Amsonia tabernaemontana ‘Blue Ice’

During a meeting discussing seasonal color displays, when phones were set on vibrate and the focus of our discussions was solely about plants, I was reminded how passionate and opinionated our staff is when it comes to what they love the most.

I decided it was important to celebrate that our employees each have their favorite species and that those favorites tend to change and evolve.  Hence our favorite plant series.  First up might as well be me, Donna Vignocchi Zych.

Easy and carefree, ‘Blue Star’ is an outstanding long blooming selection. I look forward to several weeks of deep, glacial blue blooms on this compact, shrubby-like plant. It forms a mound of green, willow-like leaves, bearing clusters of interesting dark blue buds that open into dainty, star-shaped, medium blue flowers from late spring into early summer. The dark green, compact foliage remains attractive all summer and forms the perfect backdrop, for colorful annuals and bold perennials. In fall, the willowy foliage turns a rich shade of yellow complementing my favorite fall blooming perennials: sedum, hardy mums and purpled-leaved heuchera, to name a few.

Light: Full sun to part shade

Soil: Well-Drained

Height: 12-18”

Spread: 12-18”

Growth Habit: Dense, Mound, Shrub-like

Uses: Specimen, edging, or massed in perennial or mixed shrub borders

Problems: No serious insect or disease problems.

Companion Plants: Sedum, Allium, Blue Hosta, Purple-leaved Heucheras

Dark blue buds open to ice blue blooms

Dark blue buds open to ice blue blooms

Amsonia spring blooms

Spring blooms and neat dark green foliage

Amsonia fall foliage

Dark green foliage turns to golden yellow in fall