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Amsonia tabernaemontana
Bluestar, Willow Bluestar, Eastern Bluestar, Woodland Bluestar, Willow Amsonia

Photo by Cure Nursery

Eastern Bluestar, or Willow Amsonia, is a showy, dependably beautiful, clump-forming hardy perennial about three feet in height and spread. The leaves are shiny, medium-green and willow-shaped, and can turn yellow in the fall. The flowers of Eastern Bluestar are a bright unusual blue color. They are star-shaped, and borne in loose panicles on the ends of the erect stems, making Eastern Bluestar a good cut flower for arrangements. The flowers are replaced by long, narrow cylindrical pods in fall. Although a low-maintenance plant, Amsonia should be cut back after flowering to control its height especially if grown in less than full sun. Eastern Bluestar is native to the Eastern U.S. from Texas to New York. In NC, it is found mostly but not exclusively in Piedmont counties.

Last Updated: May 28, 2019

Key Info

Scientific Name: Amsonia tabernaemontana Walter
Common Names: Bluestar, Willow Bluestar, Eastern Bluestar, Woodland Bluestar, Willow Amsonia
Family Name: Apocynaceae (Dogbane Family)
Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
Uses: Perennial Border, Meadow
Light Requirement: Full sun, Partial/sunny
Moisture Requirement: Dry, Medium, Moist well drained
Bloom Times: Mar, Apr, May
Flower Color: Blue
Special Characteristics: Attracts bees Attracts butterflies Attracts hummingbirds Deer resistant

Additional Info

Habit: Erect, clump-forming, branched perennial with a tap root.
Height: 2-3'
Spread: 2-3'
Growth Rate: Moderate to slow
Soil Conditions: Tolerates a range of soils from sandy to clay; prefers moisture-retaining organic soil, pH slightly acidic.
Leaves: Alternate, narrowly ovate, 6" long, entire margins, bright green above, paler beneath. May be yellow in fall.
Flowers (or reproductive structures): Blue, tubular corolla which expands into a star shape, clustered in compact panicles at the end of the erect stems; unscented.
Fruit: cylindrical follicles or seed pods 4-5" long, 2 per flower, ripe in fall
Natural Distribution: Rcky woodlands, shaded ravines, wet, sandy sites
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 9
USDA Wetland Indicator Status in NC: FACW
Pollination: Nectar attracts Ruby Throated Hummingbirds and long-tongued insects: carpenter bees, hummingbird moths, butterflies
Wildlife Connections: The flowers attract hummingbirds and long-tongued insects such as Carpenter Bees and Hummingbird moths and butterflies such as the Coral Hairstreak butterfly. Due to the somewhat toxic nature of this plant’s latex, insect pests and mammals tend to stay away.
Pharmacology: milky sap is unpalatable to mammals
Cultural Notes: Flower the second year after germination. Named for Jakobus Theodorus Tabernaemontanus a 16th century German herbalist.
Propagation: By division (spring or fall); by cuttings, or from seed.
USDA/NRCS Plant Distribution Map: View Map at USDA.gov
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Who we are

Cure Nursery is a small nursery propagating and selling native plants for the Southeastern U.S. We are located near the town of Pittsboro, Chatham County, in central NC.

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Cure Nursery operates by appointment only. Call us or email us to place an order for pick up or to arrange a time to come visit the nursery.

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