Blue Star (Amsonia hubrichtii)

General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit:	Herb/Forb
Life cycle:	Perennial
Sun Requirements:	Full Sun Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences:	Mesic
Soil pH Preferences:	Neutral (6.6 – 7.3)
Minimum cold hardiness:	Zone 4a -34.4 °C (-30 °F) to -31.7 °C (-25 °F)
Maximum recommended zone:	Zone 9b
Plant Height:	2 to 3 feet
Plant Spread:	2 to 3 feet
Leaves:	Good fall color Other: Best fall foliage color usually occurs in full sun, but flowers generally last longer if given some afternoon shade in hot sun areas. The unique foliage remains bright green throughout summer, but changes to a stunning gold in fall.
Flowers:	Showy
Flower Color:	Blue Other: Powder blue
Flower Time:	Late spring or early summer
Uses:	Cut Flower
Wildlife Attractant:	Bees Butterflies
Resistances:	Deer Resistant Rabbit Resistant Humidity tolerant Drought tolerant
Propagation: Seeds:	Other info: Sow seeds in spring
Propagation: Other methods:	Division
Containers:	Suitable in 3 gallon or larger Needs excellent drainage in pots
Miscellaneous:	Tolerates poor soil
Awards and Recognitions:	Other: 2009 Georgia Gold Medal Winner; 2010 Great Plant Picks award winner; 2011 Perennial Plant of the Year; 2012 Oklahoma Proven! plant selection

Common names

Blue Star
Threadleaf Bluestar
Narrow Leaf Blue Star
Arkansas Amsonia
Hubricht's Amsonia
Hubricht's Bluestar

Photo Gallery

Location: my Zone 7b garden in North Georgia Mountains
Date: 2023-04-29

Uploaded by LoriMT

Uploaded by SL_gardener

Location: Fairfax, VA | October 2022
Date: 2022-10-29

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: Castlegar BC Canada zone 5b
Date: June 1 2019
Getting eaten up by Crocosmia Note to self MOVE THIS

Uploaded by KatEnns

Location: my Zone 7b garden in North Georgia Mountains
Date: 2023-03-28

Uploaded by LoriMT

Location: West Chester, Pennsylvania
Date: 2010-05-25
clump planted in a border in bloom

Uploaded by ILPARW

Uploaded by springcolor

Location: my front yard
Date: 2012-05-09

Uploaded by doglover

Location: American Peony Society Garden, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
Date: 06/02/2003
photo by Cornell Plantations via Cornell University Library's eCo

Uploaded by scvirginia

Uploaded by doglover

Location: My garden in St Louis
Date: 2019-05-05

Uploaded by SL_gardener

Location: My garden in St Louis
Date: 2019-05-10

Uploaded by SL_gardener

Location: Fairfax, VA | April, 2023
Date: 2023-04-09

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: New York, NY
Date: 2014-10
Bronx bot garden

Uploaded by skylark

Uploaded by Calif_Sue

Location: my front yard
Date: 2024-11-03

Uploaded by doglover

Uploaded by doglover

Location: Blenheim New Zealand
Date: 2017-11-19

Uploaded by bootandall

Location: Fairfax, VA | April, 2023
Date: 2023-04-25

Uploaded by sedumzz

Uploaded by admin

Date: 05/15/2015
photo by J Biochemist via Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/p

Uploaded by scvirginia

Location: my front yard
Date: 2012-05-12

Uploaded by doglover

Location: Vaughan, ON, Canada (Zone 5b)
Date: 2014-09-27

Uploaded by Anne

Uploaded by doglover

Uploaded by Catmint20906

Uploaded by sedumzz

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: Hillsborough,nc
Date: 2016-04-11
Early spring

Uploaded by MISSINGROSIE

Uploaded by Calif_Sue

Uploaded by treehugger

Uploaded by doglover

Uploaded by bellaluna

photo courtesy of Sunlight Gardens, www.sunlightgardens.com

Uploaded by SongofJoy

Location: All pictures taken in/on my gardens/greenhouse/property
Date: 2012-05-23

Uploaded by janinilulu

Location: West Chester, Pennsylvania
Date: 2009-11-02
plant in yellow fall color

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: Tyler Arboretum near Media, Pennsylvania
Date: 2011-08-24
several plants in a mass at a parking lot

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2017-06-23

Uploaded by jmorth

Photo courtesy of Santa Rosa Gardens. Used with permission.

Uploaded by Lalambchop1

Location: My garden, Pequea, Pennsylvania 17565
Date: 2017-05-15

Uploaded by csandt

Location: Denver Metro CO
Date: 2014-10-21
Autumn coloring

Uploaded by Skiekitty

Location: Allentown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2015-05-22

Uploaded by plantrob

Location: Meadowlark Botanical Garden, Fairfax, Virginia (May 2022)
Date: 2022-05-01

Uploaded by sedumzz

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: Breezy Knees garden, York, UK
Date: 2020-06-20

Uploaded by kniphofia

Uploaded by Catmint20906

Uploaded by vic

Uploaded by vic

Uploaded by Calif_Sue

Location: Allentown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2015-04-19
I like the twistiness, different from other amsonias

Uploaded by plantrob

Date: 2016-08-24
Photo courtesy of Santa Rosa Gardens. Used with permission.

Uploaded by Lalambchop1

Uploaded by csandt

Location: Brownstown Pennsylvania
Date: 2016-06-18

Uploaded by nativeplantlover

Location: Denver Metro CO
Date: 2013-05-06
New plants coming up in the spring.

Uploaded by Skiekitty

Location: My zone 5 garden.
Date: 2020-05-27
this is new one this year in my new garden - the leaves turn gold

Uploaded by ljb5966

Photo Courtesy of Lazy S'S Farm Nursery.

Uploaded by Joy

Uploaded by Joy

Uploaded by Joy

This plant is tagged in:

Comments:

Posted by jmorth (central Illinois) on Oct 30, 2011 5:13 PM concerning plant:

2011 PPA Plant of the year.
Native to the Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas.
MOBOT rates plant at 5 stars.

Reply to this comment
Posted by LoriMT (Dawsonville, GA - Zone 8a) on Nov 24, 2023 4:16 PM concerning plant:

Amsonia hubrichtii has been growing for 2 summers in my zone 8a north Georgia garden, and it has NOT thrived. The first summer, the flowers turned moldy when they bloomed. The second summer, the plant was small with only a few flowers. In the autumn of the second summer, the foliage turned orange-yellow for a couple of weeks, then died back. This plant is in full sun all day, which it may not like in hot and humid Georgia.

Reply to this comment
Posted by KFredenburg (Black Hills, SD - Zone 5a) on Jun 6, 2020 11:59 AM concerning plant:

For best results (if planting more than one of these plants), space them at least 1 and a half feet apart from each other.
Landscape uses:
Plant bluestars singly or in small groups in the middle of a border. Willow amsonia does well in damp soil and is a good choice for planting by the side of a stream or pool.

Reply to this comment
Posted by SongofJoy (Clarksville, TN - Zone 6b) on Jan 14, 2012 9:59 AM concerning plant:

Threadleaf Blue Star has very narrow needle-like leaves 3 to 4 inches long and only a matchstick in width giving it a fine, brushy look. The plant grows approximately 3-4 ft. tall here. The flowers are a medium dark steel blue in late spring. It prefers a dry-ish site.

Fall color is a good deep gold before the plants die back for the winter. This is a very attractive and dependable plant. Plus, it is deer-resistant.

Reply to this comment
Posted by Skiekitty (Denver Metro - Zone 5a) on Apr 14, 2014 8:35 AM concerning plant:

Mine has never turned this brilliant yellow/orange in the fall. It's in full sun. Not sure why.

Reply to this comment
Posted by SciFiCahill on Jul 22, 2023 10:50 AM concerning plant:

What they probably won't tell you about the Blue Star is that it is delightful to "pet" - so soft to the touch. Wouldn't be surprised if someone labels it's a "therapy plant"?

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Plant Events from our members
piksihk	On November 2, 2017	Plant Ended (Removed, Died, Discarded, etc)
piksihk	On January 27, 2016	Miscellaneous Event may have died off
Catmint20906	On May 13, 2015	Bloomed

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Amsonia Blue Star (Amsonia hubrichtii)

Amsonia
Blue Star (Amsonia hubrichtii)