Bases Loaded Bluestar (Amsonia 'Bases Loaded')
am-SO-nee-ah 'Bases Loaded'

Deciduous Perennial Upright, Rounded in the Apocynaceae Family
Baseball™ Series bluestar with light blue, star-shaped flowers over a distinctive middle-ground foliage texture.

Amsonia 'Bases Loaded' is part of Intrinsic Perennial Gardens' Baseball™ Series of bluestar introductions (Brent Horvath, Hebron, IL), bred as a complex Amsonia hybrid rather than a straight-species selection. Its foliage sits between the fine threadleaf type and broader-leaved types, earning it the "halfway" description in trade literature, and emerges a rich dark green. Light blue, star-shaped flowers open in loose clusters at the end of May, on an upright, rounded plant that continues to widen as stems lengthen after bloom.

Pros

  • Deer resistant
  • Sturdy, upright habit that doesn't flop
  • Distinctive intermediate foliage texture
  • Tolerates a range of soils including clay and sandy sites

Cons

  • Slow to establish, like most Amsonia
  • Single spring bloom period only, does not rebloom
  • Fall color not independently documented for this specific cultivar
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 18 - 24 inches tall. 18 - 32 inches wide.
Sun Exposure Partial Shade - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Medium
Zones 5a - 8b (Usually hardy to -20° F)
Tags Attracts Butterflies, Container, Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Edging, Fall Color, Formal Garden, Full Sun, Good for Accents, Good for Beginners, Good for Borders, Good for Cottage Garden, Good for Mass Planting, Good for Rain Garden, Good for Rock Garden, Low Maintenance, Medium, Medium, Most Popular, Mounded, Nativar, Normal Soil, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Perennial, Potentially Toxic, Prairie Garden, Rabbit Resistant, Showy Flowers, Thrillers, Tolerant of Clay Soil, Tolerant of Hot Dry Site, Tolerant of Moist Soil, Tolerant of Sandy Soil, Well-Drained Soil
Bloom Period May-June
Flower Color Light Blue
Foliage Color Green
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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 08/10 - 08/23
2024 : 09/05 - 09/08

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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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The cost of this recipe's ingredients will vary depending on the season and the sizes and varieties you select.


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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.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!