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Blue Ice Blue Star - Bare Root Plant

$14.55
$14.55 $26.00
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Size : Bare Root Plant
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Bare root arrives dormant

Expect new growth in 6 to 8 weeks after planting. Until then it can look lifeless, so you won’t be able to tell within 24 hours of arrival whether it will grow.

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About the Product

Blue Ice is a compact blue star with plump navy blue buds that open to vivid periwinkle blue, star-shaped flowers in late spring and early summer. The blooms are larger than those of most blue stars and gather in clusters at the tips of the stems.

The bright green foliage forms a dense, shrub-like mound that spreads slowly and turns a rich yellow in fall, giving it two seasons of interest. At 12 to 16 inches tall, it suits the front of a border and mass plantings, and deer leave it alone.

What it looks like

Clusters of star-shaped flowers about 1 inch across with five narrow, pointed petals in vivid periwinkle blue, opening from plump, dark navy blue buds, held at the ends of each stem. Leaves are narrow, lance-shaped, bright green and smooth, densely lining the stems. The plant is a compact, rounded, shrub-like mound 12 to 16 inches tall and 18 to 24 inches wide. At peak bloom the mound is capped with periwinkle stars mixed with navy buds; in fall the foliage turns golden yellow.

Growing it with lavender

Blue Ice prefers a bit more consistent moisture than lavender, so plant it at the moister edge of a sunny border, where its periwinkle stars bloom just ahead of lavender and its golden fall color follows it.

Care

Grow in full sun to part shade in average soil with regular moisture; it tolerates poorer soil. Hardy in USDA zones 3-9. After flowering, trim stems back lightly to keep the mound dense; it rarely needs dividing.

At a glance

  • Botanical name: Amsonia
  • Flower color: Periwinkle blue from navy buds
  • Foliage: Bright green, golden yellow in fall
  • Growth habit: Compact, rounded, shrub-like mound
  • Mature size: 12–16 in tall × 18–24 in wide
  • USDA hardiness zones: 3–9
  • Light: full sun, part sun to part shade
  • Bloom start: Late-May
  • Peak bloom: Early-June
  • Bloom pattern: Single Flush
  • Deer resistance: Resistant
  • Pollinator value: Good

Sizes and shipping

Dormant bare-root plant, sold in boxes of 25 per variety (order in multiples of 25). Bare-root plants ship or are picked up March 1–May 31 only. They are soil-free, so they may ship to every state in that window. Dormant plants often show little or no top growth on arrival; plant or heel them in promptly.

View Product Details
Mature height
16.0 in
Mature spread
24.0 in
Bloom
Late-May – peak Early-June
Fragrance
None
Deer
Resistant

Lavender companion · grow guide

How to grow Blue Ice

Blue Star · Amsonia

Plant it in sun to light shade in average, well-drained soil and leave it alone. Slow to establish, but long-lived and drought tolerant once settled, with gold fall color.

Check my zone & planting dates
Blue Ice
  • Full sunLight
  • Moderate waterAverage drainage
  • pH 5.5–7.5Soil
  • Zones 3a–9bHardiness
  • 16″ tall24″ wide
  • ResistantDeer · rabbits resistant
  • Mildly toxicPets
Huckleberry, the farm dog

Huckleberry saysTell me where you grow and I’ll check if Blue Ice will thrive there.

Hardy in zones 3a–9b

Spring or early fall. Fall planting should be at least 6 weeks before the ground freezes.

Dormant bare-root blue star (amsonia) as it arrives, laid on burlap

When it arrives

Your bare-root plant

Bare-root Amsonia is a woody crown with thick, ropy roots and pinkish buds at the top. Soak roots 30 minutes, spread them in a wide hole, and set buds at or just below the soil line. Water well. Be patient: first-year top growth is often small.

Expect new growth in 6 to 8 weeks after planting. Bare root ships March–May while dormant, with little or no top growth, and it can look lifeless until then. That’s normal. Shoots appear in mid-spring as clusters of slender stems from the crown. First-year plants stay small; it typically takes 2–3 years to fill out.

You won’t be able to tell within 24 hours of arrival whether a dormant plant will grow.

When to plant

Spring or early fall. Fall planting should be at least 6 weeks before the ground freezes.

How deep

Set the crown with growth buds at or just below (about 1") the soil surface.

Spacing

Amsonia hubrichtii and larger types about 3 ft apart; compact selections about 2 ft.

Soil

Average loam; tolerates clay · pH 5.5–7.5

Fix-it tip: Adaptable. In heavy clay, loosen a wide area and add some compost. Don't over-enrich; rich soil makes floppy stems.

Sun

Full sun (tolerates part shade).

Full sun gives the best gold fall color and sturdiest stems. In shade, stems flop; afternoon shade in hot climates helps flowers last longer.

Dormant
New growth

Don’t give up on it

Is it alive? What spring looks like

Shoots appear in mid-spring as clusters of slender stems from the crown. First-year plants stay small; it typically takes 2–3 years to fill out.

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