Native Plant of the Week: Eastern Bluestar

Family: Apocynaceae

Name: Amsonia tabernaemontana

Bloom Time: May-Jun

Flower: Light blue star-shaped flowers

Soil Condition: adaptable, moist-wet, clay

Light: Sun, Partial sun

Height: 2-3'

Native Range: Central and Eastern US

Zone: 3-9

Flower (KMS Native Plants)

Although the blue star-shaped flowers are delightful, eastern bluestar is grown for its stunning fall color of golden yellow.. Although it is not native to Long Island, this a great plant to add to the native pollinator garden as the flowers are visited by our native bumble bees, carpenter bees, and many tiny bees. Bluestar is usually deer resistant but it depends on how hungry they are in your area.

Maintenance: requires a little supplemental water during extreme drought, divide clumps in spring or fall

Benefits: drought tolerant, nectar source, pollinators, hummingbirds, fall color

Noteworthy Cultivars: 'Storm Cloud'

Other Noteworthy Species: Amsonia hubrichtii - Narrowleaf Bluestar, Amsonia illustris - Ozark Bluestar

Companion Plants: Asclepias tuberosa - Butterflyweed,, Heuchera americana - Alumroot,, Symphyotrichum novae-angliae - New England Aster,, Rudbeckia fulgida - Black-eyed Susan,, Symphyotrichum oblongifolium - Aromatic Aster

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References:

1. https://newmoonnursery.com/nursery-plants/amsonia-tabernemontana-blue-ice/

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