Walton's Plant Library

Other Names:  Palmleaf Thoroughwort, Eupatorium greggii

Description:

This variety is good as a border plant or as a colonizing groundcover; tiny, spidery flowers are a magnet for late season butterflies; spreads very quickly through underground rhizomes, so may need to be controlled

Ornamental Features

Gregg's Blue Mistflower features showy clusters of powder blue spider-like flowers at the ends of the stems from late summer to mid fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive deeply cut ferny leaves remain green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Gregg's Blue Mistflower is an herbaceous perennial with a mounded form. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Spreading

Gregg's Blue Mistflower is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Gregg's Blue Mistflower will grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity extending to 18 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 24 inches. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is native to parts of North America. It can be propagated by division.

Gregg's Blue Mistflower is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers and foliage against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.