Conoclinium coelestinum (L.) DC.

Blue Mistflower; Wild Ageratum

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Wild Ageratum is a native herbaceous perennial in the Sunflower family (Asteraceae). It can be found throughout Alabama. Wild Ageratum along streams and rivers, on the shores of ponds and marshes, in floodplain forests, in bogs and seeps, and in wet roadside ditches. It is a perennial with a fibrous root system. The stems may be decumbent and root at the nodes. It forms colonies by long slender rhizomes. The stems are green or purple in color and pubescent. The stems are often branched from about mid-stem. The leaves are opposite, petiolate, triangular to ovate in outline, with serrate margins. The leaves are glabrous or pubescent. The lower two veins on the leaf are prominent and parallel the midvein. Flowers are produced in heads. The heads are arranged in terminal corymbs. The heads contain 10-30 blue to violet disc flowers. There are no ray flowers. The fruit is an achene with white pappus. Wild Ageratum is often available from wildflower nurseries, and is one of the easiest wildflowers to grow. It is not closely related to the garden Ageratum (in the genus Ageratum), which are tropical annuals. Wild Ageratum is easy to grow in moist, humus rich soils. It will grow in full sun or partial shade. Wild Ageratum can spread aggressively from seed and rhizomes. This plant was at one time included in the genus Eupatorium (as Eupatorium coelestinum Linnaeus), and may be found under that name in some older references.--A. Diamond

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Native FAC (NWPL) G5 (Global Rank)

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