Blue Ice Amsonia

Light Needs

Partial Sun to Full Sun

(At Least 5 Hours of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

1 Foot

Mature Spread

1 Foot

Growing Zones

4 to 8

The Blue Ice Amsonia is everything you could want in a perennial: showy spring flowers that last into summer, a sturdy growth habit that slowly spreads, attractive foliage that turns a lovely golden yellow in the fall, and all of this will require very little care or effort. The tall stems of the Amsonia tabernaemontana have long, dark green willow-like foliage. Dark, navy blue buds open in late spring to reveal star-shaped lavender flowers. The blooms typically last 4 to 6 weeks.

Amsonia is an upright, clump-forming perennial with a tight and dense form that requires very little care, making it a wonderful plant to feature in an often neglected corner of a landscape. This plant makes a striking addition to beds or borders. The tall stems will reach about 18 inches high, and while the flowers are lovely, the foliage will stay in place and provide color and texture through the fall. Blue Ice Amsonia grows as a perennial in USDA zones 4 through 8.

Blue Ice Amsonia Care

Plant Blue Ice Amsonia in moist, well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. Plants grown in full sun may grow very quickly and need to be staked. New plants need damp conditions, but let the soil mostly dry out before watering. Established plants are drought-tolerant but monitor during a dry period and water if the soil is dry. Feed Amsonia using balanced, water-soluble fertilizer each spring.

Maintain a bushy shape and prevent the stems from falling over by cutting the plant back by no more than 50 percent after flowering is complete. 

Blue Ice Amsonia Spacing

Blue Ice Amsonia is a clump-forming perennial that will grow 15 to 18 inches tall and wide. This plant has rhizomes and will spread, but it takes time for Amsonia to fill in an area. Create a full, lush planting by spacing these perennials 14 to 16 inches apart.