A short, mainly blue colored annual for the full sun.
Pronunciation
(a-jer-A-tum)(hew-so-nee-AH-num)
Plant Type
Annuals
Sunlight
full sun
Moisture
average, may need additional moisture during dry spells.
Soil & Site
average
Temperature
A tender garden annual turning black at the first frost. Planting sooner than Memorial Day weekend may be risky (zone #5).
Flowers
small 1/4-1/2" tubulor flowers are in clusters forming a fluffy ball, color is blue, also rose, pink and white
Leaves
simple, green, opposite, heart shaped
Roots
fiborus
Dimensions
Most reach 6-8", some up to 15". Space the plants 8"-10" on center
Maintenance
As the flowers die they need to be dead headed which is no easy task. Many of the cultivars flowers are on short scapes and are hard to remove. This is one plant I don't enjoy the task of dead heading.
Propagation
small seeds, start 6-8 weeks before they are going to be planted in the garden.
Native Site
Native to Mexico and Central and South America
Misc Facts
Genus named after William Houston who collected the species in the Antilles and Mexico.
Author's Notes
Ageratum were one of my main plants I used in commercials gardens. They were blue, short and hardy. Easy to grow and maintian.
Notes & Reference
#27-Rodale's Annual Gardens (Paul Loewer), #28-Cottage Garden Annuals(Clive Lane), #51-Armitage's Manual of Annuals, Biennials, and Half-Hardy Perennials (Alan Arimitage),#109-Annuals and Tender Perennials for North American Gardens (Wayne Winterroud)