Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum)
Conoclinium coelestinum

Deciduous Perennial Clumping, Spreading (Rhizomatous) in the Asteraceae Family
 
Buy Blue Mistflower
Size Notes Price Availability
#1 gallon Field $16.31 Likely available
1/24 - 4/4

A tough native perennial with fuzzy sky-blue flower clusters that bloom from midsummer into fall, when little else in the garden still has color to offer pollinators.

Blue Mistflower is a vigorous native perennial wildflower in the aster family, grown for its fuzzy, flat-topped clusters of sky-blue to lavender flowers that bloom from midsummer right up until frost -- a season when few other perennials are still offering color. The branching, 1.5-3 ft. stems carry opposite, triangular-to-oval, coarsely toothed leaves, and the flowerheads are made up entirely of small tubular disc florets (no ray petals), giving each cluster a soft, fluffy look.

It spreads readily by rhizomes and self-seeding, forming expanding colonies rather than staying in a tight clump, so it reads more as a spreading groundcover than a well-behaved border perennial. In the wild it is found along stream banks, pond edges, wet meadows, and woodland clearings across the eastern and central U.S., and it brings that same easy tolerance of damp, even occasionally flooded, soil to the garden.

Pros

  • Rare true-blue flower color that's hard to find elsewhere in a fall perennial border
  • Blooms for months, from midsummer straight through to frost
  • Major late-season nectar source for butterflies, skippers, and bees
  • Thrives in damp, poorly-drained spots other perennials struggle in

Cons

  • Spreads aggressively by rhizomes and self-seeding; can overrun small beds
  • Stems often flop by late summer without a spring cutback or staking
  • Some susceptibility to powdery mildew in crowded, poor-airflow plantings
Why Like One of the few native wildflowers offering true blue color this late in the season -- its fuzzy flowerheads open in midsummer and keep going right up to frost, exactly when migrating monarchs, skippers, and other butterflies most need a reliable nectar source. Several moth species use it as a host plant, and songbirds eat the seeds once the flowers fade. In the wild it colonizes damp, disturbed ground along streams, pond margins, and wet meadows, helping stabilize soil in exactly the spots most prone to erosion.
Highlights
  • One of the few native perennials with true sky-blue flowers blooming this late in the year
  • Steady bloom from midsummer through frost, feeding butterflies when little else is still flowering
  • Thrives in damp or occasionally flooded spots where most perennials struggle
  • Easy to propagate by division or stem cuttings
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 18 - 36 inches tall. 18 - 36 inches wide.
Growth Rate Fast
Sun Exposure Partial Shade - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Medium - Wet: Thrives in consistently moist to wet sites -- stream banks, pond edges, wet meadows, and ditches are its natural habitat -- and it tolerates brief flooding without trouble. Needs regular water during dry spells; it is not a drought-tolerant plant.
Zones 5a - 10b (Usually hardy to -20° F)
Tags Attracts Bees, Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Pollinators, Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Erosion Control, Extended Bloom Time, Fast Growth Rate, Full Sun, Good for Borders, Good for Butterfly Garden, Good for Mass Planting, Good for Rain Garden, Groundcover, Illinois Native, Medium, Native to North America, Naturalizing, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Perennial, Pond, Prairie Garden, Showy Flowers, Tolerant of Clay Soil, Tolerant of Moist Soil, Wet, Wet Site Tolerant, Woodland Garden
Bloom Period July to October
Flower Color Blue, Lavender-Purple
Foliage Color Green
 

Most Popular Plants
"Pond" #24
 

More Info from Experts

Commonly Planted with...

Goldenrod (Solidago), New England and aromatic asters, cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis), Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium), cutleaf coneflower, and tall sunflowers all share its late-summer bloom window and damp-soil tolerance, and the blue flowers contrast nicely against their yellow, white, or red tones.
Want More photos of this plant? Try Google Image Search!
 


Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 04/13 - 09/20
2024 : 05/16 - 09/21
2023 : 06/21 - 09/30


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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

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