Arkansas Bluestar
Amsonia hubrichtii
Thread-fine foliage that becomes a glowing gold sphere for weeks each fall. Pale blue spring stars, deer-proof, and essentially permanent.
Typically 1 pint–1 gal · $9–$30 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
Perennial Plant of the Year for good reason. ultra-fine texture, spring blue flowers, and the most spectacular golden fall color of any native perennial.
Arkansas Bluestar is considered by many designers to be the finest ornamental native perennial in cultivation, a plant that won Perennial Plant of the Year and has never stopped being recommended. The ultra-fine, needle-like foliage is extraordinary: a rounded, vase-shaped mound of thread-thin leaves that catches and holds morning dew, moves in the slightest breeze, and creates a texture unlike any other perennial in the garden. In spring, pale blue star flowers cover the tips of the stems. In fall, the entire mound turns brilliant gold. The fall color is the signature feature. From late September through October the plant becomes a glowing golden sphere, saturated, consistent, and lasting four to six weeks. You can plant it in any position in a border and it will become the anchor of your fall planting regardless of what else is around it. Completely deer-proof, drought-tolerant, and essentially permanent once established.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown arkansas bluestar propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Dry
- Mature size
- 2–3 ft · 30–48 in wide
- Bloom time
- Spring
- Bloom color
- Blue
- USDA zones
- 4–9
- Family
- Apocynaceae
- Native range
- Arkansas and Oklahoma (very narrow native range); widely cultivated across eastern North America
Care notes for arkansas bluestar.
Plant in full sun in average to dry, well-drained soil. Cut back by half after spring flowering to maintain dense, rounded form. Do not transplant once established. Very slow to establish in years one and two. do not give up. Extremely long-lived once settled. Drought-tolerant but appreciates occasional deep watering in summer heat.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside arkansas bluestar.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
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Shade Bed Package
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Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.