KTRS Inside Out Show Plant of the Week January 15 2011

Amsonia hubrichtii

by MaryAnn Fink

Conservation Specialist

copyright 2011

This American native best known as Arkansas Bluestar opened the door for me to this genus, eventually introducing me to rest of this great family of plants that are “doorstep worthy”.

She is a perfect example of an easy beautiful plant for average conditions! With her thread thin soft as silk clean green foliage, she has stood the test of time on my personal “go to” list of work friendly plants for fine texture.

Although she looks delicate, she stands up well to full sun, hot-cold, wet-dry, and humidity without bowing. She is so soft looking that a mature specimen can single handedly creates the relief I need from the monotony of “moderate textured medium green” that monopolizes so many uninspired landscape.

If it is not enough that she looks great from a distance, she also delights my close up viewing urges with a “go ahead you can touch me” invitation that she reissues each year.

By late spring, Amsonia h. completes her misty emerald cloud illusion by adding a bridal veil of “sunrise sky blue” stars that appear to be floating atop her fern-like foliage.

The delicate looking blossoms will eventually fade away, leaving clusters of dangling seed pods that age to cinnamon beige. These can be quickly tip sheered away leaving a fresh tidy appearance to this billowy space holder till fall arrives.

As the cool air strokes her foliage tresses, this multi-season beauty transforms again, now a tousled mass of gold that shines in the sun. Eventually the foliage will age to soft toasted maize and the stems become bare and bent.

In a harsh winter, burdened with snow, her once flexible form typically collapses into a wiry maze. Even in her sleep she works to protect the ground from exposure and erosion till spring calls her name and it all starts again!

Care Factor Rating: 2 During spring clean-up cut back all the old stemage from the previous year and then cut around the crown and through the roots like you are cutting a cake away from its pan. Remove any roots or crown portions that have stretched beyond the designated space for this plant and refill with soil.

To keep her fresh looking, all season, sheer off the top 4-6” of the stem tips. Do this after she flowers! This will remove the faded flowers, redirect energy from seed production to root establishment. Also this encourages upright growth and leaves a nice foliage mound for the rest of the season. It eliminates the normal tip collapse that happens naturally with her seed formation which leaves Amsonia h. with a less attractive “toasted on top” effect.