Amsonia has vivid blue star-shaped blooms in late spring, and stunning golden fall foliage, making it a standout three-season perennial. Ideal for native plant gardens, borders, and mass plantings, it attracts pollinators while providing excellent drought tolerance and low-maintenance beauty. While Blue Ice grows 12 to 18" tall and produces much darker lavender-blue flowers, Blue Star (Amsonia tabernaemontana) grows into a large 2-3' shrub style clump. Late Spring to Early Summer. Growing 12–18 inches tall, it features deer-resistant, willow-like foliage that turns a striking golden-yellow in autumn. The flowers attract various long-tongued insects, including the Large Carpenter Bee and hummingbird moths. It is a host plant for the Snowberry Clearwing (Hemaris difinis), Great Ash Sphinx Moth, and Coral Hairstreak Butterfly. Care Easy to grow, best in a moist, fertile soil. Can tolerate wet soils for short periods. Shear back by one third after flowering to maintain a more compact plant. Snap off mature seed pods to prevent over seeding. Clumps can be divided in spring but this is generally not needed for 6 years or more. It thrives in USDA zones 4-9 in full sun to part shade and is low-maintenance. Growth Habit While Blue Ice grows 12 to 18" tall and produces much darker lavender-blue flowers, Blue Star grows into a large 2-3' shrub style clump. Late Spring to Early Summer. Growing 12–18 inches tall, it features deer-resistant, willow-like foliage that turns a striking golden-yellow in autumn. Toxicity Deer resistant. Like many other plants in the Apocynaceae family (dogbanes and milkweeds), the foliage of Bluestar contains a toxic white latex, making it reliably deer and herbivore resistant. Not toxic to pets but pets can get tiny thorns in their paws from the leaves.
