Blue Mistflower

Conoclinium coelestinum
AKA: Eupatorium coelestinum

Size: 1 Gallon Availability

Flower
Max Size: 3’ tall x 2’ wide
Average Size: 1.5′ tall x 1′ wide

Loam, Muck, Sand, Clay
Sun, Part Shade
Very Moist, Usually Moist, Moist to Dry
No salt tolerance

AKA: Blue Boneset, Hardy Ageratum, Wild Ageratum, Pink Eupatorium

This winter-dormant perennial blooms summer into fall with blueish-purple flowers. It typically returns in spring. Plant it in a wildflower garden, pollinator patch, rain garden; it’s also useful as a border plant, along pond edges, or otherwise near water sources. It cans spread to form large patches by rhizomes and should be planted where this is not a problem; it also spreads by seeds. They can be cut back in spring to prevent flopping.

It is not edible, but it does make a nice cut flower for arrangements.

The nectar-rich flowers are attractive to numerous late-season pollinators including native bees, honeybees, butterflies, moths, and other generalist pollinators like lovebugs. Birds enjoy the seeds. It is a larval host for numerous Lepidoptera species including the obscure skipper, salt marsh skipper, southern broken-dash, and three-spotted skipper.

Additional sources: Florida Plant Atlas, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Flora of North America, NCSU, FNPS