Conoclinium coelestinum (L.) DC.
Blue mistflower, Wild ageratum, Blue boneset, Mistflower
Asteraceae (Aster Family)
Synonym(s): Eupatorium coelestinum
USDA Symbol: coco13
Mistflower grows to 3 feet high, but often lower, with leaves opposite, somewhat triangular in shape, and bluntly toothed. At the top of the plant the branches, with their short-stemmed clusters of flowers, form an almost flat top. Disk flowers are bright blue or violet, about 1/4 inch long. There are no ray flowers.
Blue Mistflower attracts bees and butterflies. However, this wildflower spreads quickly and can become a pest.
From the Image Gallery
Plant CharacteristicsDuration: Perennial
Size Notes: 2-3
Size Class: 1-3 ft.
Bloom InformationBloom Color: Blue , Purple
Bloom Time: Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct , Nov
DistributionUSA: AL , AR , DC , DE , FL , GA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MD , MI , MO , MS , NC , NE , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , SC , TN , TX , VA , WV
Native Distribution: NJ to s. IL & e. KS, s. to FL & TX
Native Habitat: Wood margins; stream banks; low woods; wet meadows; ditches
Growing ConditionsWater Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist
CaCO3 Tolerance: Medium
Soil Description: Moist loam, sand, or clay.
Conditions Comments: Blue mistflower is good as a border plant or as a colonizing groundcover. The fluffy-edged flowers are a magnet for late-season butterflies. It also spreads quickly and can become a pest.
BenefitUse Wildlife: This wildflower attracts bees and butterflies.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Attracts: Birds , Butterflies
Nectar Source: yes
Value to Beneficial InsectsSpecial Value to Native Bees
Supports Conservation Biological Control
This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
PropagationPropagation Material: Seeds
Description: Propagate by root division or by seed. Sow seeds in fall or provide cold stratification. Mist flower can also be propagated by softwood cuttings taken in late spring.
Seed Collection: Seeds can be allowed to dry out before sowing.
Seed Treatment: This species requires or benefits from a three month period of cold moist stratification in the refrigerator.
Commercially Avail: yes
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National Wetland Indicator Status
From the National Suppliers DirectoryAccording to the inventory provided by Associate Suppliers, this plant is available at the following locations:
Edge of the Woods Native Plant Nursery - Orefield, PA
Wrights Nursery - Briggs, TX
ArcheWild Native Nurseries - Quakertown, PA
Toadshade Wildflower Farm - Frenchtown, NJ
Prairie Nursery - Westfield, WI
Far South Wholesale Nursery - Austin, TX
From the National Organizations DirectoryAccording to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
Delaware Nature Society - Hockessin, DE
Patsy Glenn Refuge - Wimberley, TX
Stengl Biological Research Station - Smithville, TX
NPSOT - Austin Chapter - Austin, TX
NPSOT - Williamson County Chapter - Georgetown, TX
Mt. Cuba Center - Hockessin, DE
Herbarium Specimen(s)NPSOT 0685 Collected Nov 22, 1993 in Bexar County by Mike Fox
Wildflower Center Seed BankLBJWC-1137 Collected 2007-11-09 in Fort Bend County by Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
BibliographyBibref 1620 - Gardening with Native Plants of the South (Reprint Edition) (2009) Wasowski, S. with A. Wasowski
Bibref 318 - Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
Bibref 248 - Texas Wildflowers: A Field Guide (1984) Loughmiller, C. & L. Loughmiller
Bibref 1294 - The Midwestern Native Garden: Native Alternatives to Nonnative Flowers and Plants An Illustrated Guide (2011) Adelman, Charlotte and Schwartz, Bernard L.
Search More Titles in Bibliography
Research LiteratureReslit 1301 - The common occurrence of incompletely developed pollen of Eupatorium (Compositae : Eupatorieae) (2003) J. J. Skvarla, J. R. Rowley, W. F. Chissoe and P. ...
Reslit 1732 - Two new flavones from Eupatorium coelestinum (1979) N. Levan and T. V. C. Pham
Reslit 1778 - Alkaloids of Conoclinium coelestinum (L.) DC., Eupatorium compositifolium Walt., and E. altissimum L.: Isolation of crystalline intermedine from C. coelestinum (1981) W. Herz, P. Kulanthaivel, P. S. Subramanian, C. C....
Reslit 2150 - Synthesis of Eupatorium coelestinum Flavone (1981) D. K. Bhardwaj, A. K. Gupta, R. K. Jain and A. Ran...
This information was provided by the Florida WIldflower Foundation.
Search More Titles in Research Literature
Additional resourcesUSDA: Find Conoclinium coelestinum in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Conoclinium coelestinum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Conoclinium coelestinum
MetadataRecord Modified: 2013-09-12
Research By: TWC Staff, GDB