Other Names:  Colorado Desert Bluestar, Blue Star

Description:

A western native, with an attractive vase shaped form and pointed green leaves that turn yellow in fall; large clusters of tubular ivory-blue flowers cover the plant in late spring; slow growing and long lived, it is highly heat and drought tolerant

Ornamental Features

Jones' Bluestar is covered in stunning clusters of sky blue star-shaped flowers with violet overtones at the ends of the stems from late spring to early summer. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its small glossy pointy leaves are dark green in color with curious grayish green undersides. As an added bonus, the foliage turns a gorgeous yellow in the fall.

Landscape Attributes

Jones' Bluestar is a dense herbaceous perennial with an indistinguished habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Jones' Bluestar is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Jones' Bluestar will grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 12 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 10 inches apart. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. This plant should not require much in the way of fertilizing once established, although it may appreciate a shot of general-purpose fertilizer from time to time early in the growing season. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in poor soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is native to parts of North America. It can be propagated by division.

Jones' Bluestar is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.