| Description | 'Blue Planet' Ageratum (Ageratum houstonianum) is a taller Ageratum that can be used for cut flowers. |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | (a-jer-A-tum)(hew-so-nee-AH-num) |
| Plant Type | Annuals, Site author's observations |
| Sunlight | full, mostly sunny |
| 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). Once established, it will tolerate cooler temperatures. |
| Flowers | Small 1/4-1/2" tubular flowers are in clusters forming a fluffy ball, borne on an inflorescence called a cyme; the primary color is blue. |
| Fruit | Fruits are small, indehiscent achenes (do not split open on their own to release the seed). |
| Leaves | simple, green, opposite, heart-shaped |
| Roots | fiborous |
| Dimensions | up to 24 inches or more, depending on the site |
| Maintenance | As the flowers die, they need to be deadheaded, which is no easy task. Many of the cultivar's flowers are on short scapes and are hard to remove. This is one plant I don't enjoy deadheading. This is a taller variety and may need some additional support. |
| Propagation | The seeds are small. Start them 6-8 weeks before they are planted in the garden. |
| Native Site | Native to Mexico, Central and South America |
| Misc Facts | The genus is named after William Houston, who collected the species in the Antilles and Mexico. |
| Author's Notes | I used this plant in my garden (summer of 2022), and it was easy to grow. It was definitely taller and more widespread than the other Ageratums I had used. |
| Notes & Reference | #51-Armitage's Manual of Annuals, Biennials, and Half-Hardy Perennials (Alan Armitage),#109-Annuals and Tender Perennials for North American Gardens (Wayne Winterroud), #274-Site Authors' observations and growing experiences of other Ageratums |
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