Blue Mistflower (Eupatorium coelestinum) is a compact rhizomatous perennial wildflower. The leaves are bright green with a prominent network of veins somewhat like those of mint. From mid-summer until autumn, purplish stems are topped with soft masses of powder-blue fuzzy flowers. The blooms are frequented by butterflies, bees, and skippers. This robust plant forms colonies in sunny or partly shaded sites with moist to average soil.
Habitat and Hardiness
Blue Mistflower is common in the eastern United States from New York to Florida and west to Nebraska and Texas. They are indigenous to moist, open woods, especially edges and clearings, banks of lakes, rivers, creeks, ditches, damp meadows, wet prairies, sandy coastal wetlands, bottomlands, seeps, fields, and by roadsides. They are hardy from USDA Zones 5-9.
Maintenance
This is an adaptable wildflower that grows in full sun if sufficient moisture is present. Established plants tolerate drought, but in dry sites, plants may fare best in light shade. Blue Mistflower tolerates an alkaline pH, heavy clay, or soils high in organic matter. They may be a bit rambunctious for small, manicured gardens. In confined spaces, rampant growth may need to be curbed by thinning and dividing regularly. This species is pest-resistant, and the foliage is unpalatable to deer and other animal pests.
Landscape Uses
The unique flower color of Blue Mistflower provides soothing relief during the season. It acts as a good groundcover for a wildlife garden or moist meadow. You can also use them for cut flower arrangements. Best for use in cottage gardens, deer-resistant plantings, rain gardens, water-wise landscapes, perennial borders, or in mass plantings. Try pairing Blue Mistflower with other plants like Aster, Coreopsis, Lobelia, Rudbeckia, Solidago, or Sorghastrum.