North Carolina ecotype
Duration: Perennial
Habit: Upright, clump-forming, bushy, deep rooted
Size: 2 to 3 feet tall; 2 to 3 feet wide
Flowering Time: April to June
Bloom Color: Pale blue, star-shaped flowers
Habitat: Open woodlands, streambanks, meadows, moist thickets
Moisture: Average to moist; prefers consistent moisture but tolerates some drought once established
Light: Full sun to part sun; flowers best and less flopping with more light
Soils: Sandy, loamy, or clay; well-draining
Uses: Perennial borders, pollinator gardens, naturalistic meadows, interesting foliage
Amsonia tabernaemontana var. salicifolia (Willow bluestar)
Amsonia tabernaemontana var. salicifolia is a variety of the east coast native Amsonia with narrow leaves, commonly called the willow bluestar, willowleaf bluestar, or narrowleaf blue dogbane. This long-lived perennial grows up to 3 feet tall and wide, and forms a bushy appearance after flowering in the spring.
A member of the dogbane family, bluestars sport stalks of feathery leaves from a central root system. Their foliage is unpalatable to deer. Bluestars are an important early season flowering species, blooming April and May with clusters of light icy blue flowers. Hummingbirds, long-tongued bees, moths and and butterflies visit the flowers. The species is a host plant for the coral hairstreak butterfly and snowberry clearwing hummingbird moth.
Amsonia are easily cultivated in gardens and prized for their unique form and flowers. This bluestar prefers average to moist soil and lots of sun, and will be drought tolerant once established. Unlike the broad-leaved var. tabernaemontana, var. salicifolia will flop in too much shade. This plant turns a lovely golden yellow in the autumn. This species send deep roots into the ground, and is difficult to relocate once planted, so decide its location with care.