NICE! Plant of the Month
Conoclinium (Eupatorium) coelestinum, Conoclinium (Eupatorium) greggii
Family: Asteraceae
Other Common Names: Wild ageratum, blue boneset, Gregg’s blue mistflower
Type: Perennial, flowering plant can reach 1 ½ foot height in garden (generally lower)
Natural Habitat: Moist woods in East, Southeast and North Central Texas; Gregg’s mistflower grows in West Texas
Growth: Colonizes by rhizomes, spreads easily
Deer Resistance: Heavily browsed
Wildlife: Butterflies
Light Tolerance: Part shade, full sun if watered
Flowers: Blue-lavender, April to September.
Fruit: None
Leaves: Opposite leaves are ovate, hairy, and have toothed margins.
Water Requirements: Average (see below)
Soil Requirements: Adapts to most soil types although it prefers a moist site, poor drainage ok.
Planting Instructions: Space plants 1-2 foot apart. Dig hole at least two times wider than, but the same depth as the root ball in a nursery container. Sides of the hole should be irregular, not smooth. Remove plant from container, taking care to support the root ball. Loosen exterior roots gently with your fingers. If the plant is root-bound and cannot be loosened by hand, the outer roots may be cut in several places. Lift the plant by the root ball and place in the hole. Backfill hole, using soil that was dug out. Do not add any soil to the top of the root ball. Gently firm the soil with your hands, but do not tamp it down. Place 3-4 inches of mulch over the bare soil around, but not touching the base of the plant.
Watering Instructions after planting: Water deeply after planting to settle soil around roots. Then every 7-10 days, as needed, during the first growing season. Before watering, check soil moisture at a depth of an inch or two at the edge of the root ball. Skip a watering after a rainfall of ½ to 1 inch. Maintain this watering schedule until the first fall. Reduce watering during the cool and winter months. In a “normal” year, no watering may be necessary during the fall and winter, but during a dry year, monthly watering may be needed. Second Spring and thereafter: Water monthly only during the periods of drought. Once established, native will survive with little supplemental irrigation.
NICE! Tip: You’ll love how attractive this flowering plant is to butterflies. Use mistflower in place of impatiens, petunias or begonias. If moisture is adequate this plant will spread by underground runners and will cover a larger area every year.
Look for the NICE! Plant of the Month signs and information sheets on your next visit to a participating Boerne nursery. And thank you for supporting native plants by using them in your landscapes.