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Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Favorite plant of the week, Blue Mist Flower, October 8, 2013

My favorite plant of the week is Blue Mist Flower, formerly Eupatorium coelestinum.  I ordered a plant in February along with some other plants and the others grew but the Eupatorium remained a black stump.   However, up around it grew 5 micro seedlings.   They continued to grow and were transplanted into individual pots, then in August when 6" tall, I set them out in the garden.   I was very surprised a week ago to find one had developed flowers already.  This is a great native flower that attracts pollinators and multiplies by rhizomes, so I'm hoping it will occupy some ground and therefore shut out some weeds.  It likes water so I can plant it in the very soggy ground near my leaky hose bib and hope it will flourish there.

The flowers are not what I would call blue, typical nursery plant hype, but magenta.  They open to make fuzzy flowers, mist-like, here not quite open.  

I'm enthusiastic about a plant that can perform that fast, so many perennials take 2 years or more to bloom, so it is my favorite plant this week.

To see other bloggers' favorite plant of the week, click on Loree of Danger Garden's link, and look for more links in the comments section.

Hannah

10 comments:

  1. This is a wonderful plant. I have several that have reseeded in my garden and the butterflies just love them.

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    1. I'm entranced with them so I hope they will reseed. I don't know if they have a chance of setting seed when blooming this late though.

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  2. "typical nursery plant hype"...you had me smiling at that. If I read "black flowers" where they are obviously purple once again I might scream!

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    1. Yes, back when I was collecting daylilies the breeders were all hot to find a "blue" daylily, and naming them "blue" this and that, but the poor daylily lacks the pigments for a true blue, it can only achieve magenta, that most unpopular color name. If I want a blue flower I can go to Delphiniums, Brunnera, etc.

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  3. Very pretty leaves, and the flower color is marvelous!
    Have a great week-end!
    Lea
    Lea's Menagerie

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  4. Thanks, Lea, I really like heart-shaped leaves.

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  5. I had some awhile back, and can't remember why I haven't had any in awhile. I may have taken it out because the amount of spread scared me. I decided to try it again this summer in a pot. That is blooming now, too. I got brave and planted some in the ground a few weeks ago. I hope to pay attention to make sure it doesn't go too far.

    Thanks for your comment on my blog anniversary post. I had to laugh at what you said about the 'Witchita Mountains' goldenrod not flopping. There are a number of plants flopping this year, including that, because I didn't get them trimmed back early summer like I normally do. It didn't flop as early as the others, though. I got out today and tied them up, and they look better now. There were lots of bees on the blooms, so I squatted down, and handled them from as low as I could. I didn't seem to have any angry bees, so that was good.

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    1. Aw, another plant falls off its pedestal. At least that makes me feel better about not being able to find it anywhere. I like the way the blossoms are arranged in a cylindrical "torch".

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  6. Lovely flower and I would say a real winner as it grows so quickly!

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