Amsonia 'Blue Ice'

About this cultivar:

Amsonia ‘Blue Ice’ is a cultivar that is very similar in appearance to the tabernaemontana species. However it is much more compact and produces darker blue flowers. The dark green foliage turns an attractive bright yellow in autumn. Reportedly discovered growing with A. tabernaemontana seedlings at Whites Flower Farm in America. Note: the photos make it look like a light blue, in fact it is a bit darker.

• Position: Full sun, partial shade
• Soil: Almost any soil - grows well in Ballyrobert!
• Flowers: May, June, July
  
• Other features: Great Ground Cover
• Hardiness: Fully hardy - grows well in Ballyrobert!
• Habit: Clump forming
• Foliage: Deciduous
• Height: 15 - 45 cm (0.5 - 1.5 ft)
• Spread: 15 - 45 cm (0.5 - 1.5 ft)
• Time to full growth: 2 to 5 years
• Plant type: Herbaceous Perennial
• Colour: Blue, green
• Goes well with: Geranium, Crocosmia, Rosa

About this genus:

Amsonia are clump-forming perennials with milky sap (containing latex), lance-shaped leaves and terminal panicles of small, starry blue flowers in spring and summer. They are not invasive, easy in any soil or situation, slug and snail resistant, fully hardy, and flower reliably each year. They should be a garden staple! They are named after Charles Amson, an 18th-century physician from Virginia, but are often commonly named Blue Star.

Try them at the front of the border, or use multiple clumps to form ground cover. Good combinations include ground cover plants or clumping plants like Geranium, specifically Geranium psilostemon. The subtle foliage and blue flowers can serve as an attractive foil for more showy plants like Crocosmia or some Roses.