The Aristea ecklonii, known as Blue Stars or the blue-eyed iris, is a jewel-like member of the iris family from southern Africa. It forms neat clumps of erect, sword-shaped evergreen leaves, and in summer throws up loosely branched sprays studded with short-lived, saucer-shaped flowers of the purest star-bright blue. Few perennials deliver a blue this intense, and each sunny morning brings a fresh flush of blooms.This is a sun-lover for mild gardens. Rated RHS H3, it is tender across most of the UK and reliably hardy only in the mildest, most sheltered or coastal spots, where it comes through winter down to around 0C. Grown in a pot it is easily moved under cover for the coldest months, and even where it needs protection the evergreen fans hold year-round structure. See our hardy exotics, what to expect guide for how tender exotics behave through the seasons.How and where to grow Position: full sun in a warm, sheltered, south-facing spot, tolerating only light shade. Soil: free-draining, humus-rich loam on the neutral to acid side, never waterlogged in winter. Size: a compact 0.5 to 1 m tall and 0.1 to 0.5 m across in 2 to 5 years. Hardiness: protect over winter except in frost-free coastal gardens. Water freely through the first summer to establish, then keep it just moist in growth and drier in winter, as it resents sitting wet. Its love of sharp drainage and shelter makes it a natural for coastal gardens, a sunny gravel bed, or the front of an exotic border. It is equally happy in a container on the patio, which doubles as the easiest way to move it under glass for winter. The nectar-rich blue flowers are a magnet for bees, earning it a place among our plants for pollinators.Browse the rest of our hardy exotics range to build a full sub-tropical scheme. Every Aristea we send out is nursery-grown, selected for a healthy crown and strong roots, and packed with care to arrive in top condition.
