Storm Cloud stands out from the moment it comes up in spring, with near-black stems and very dark green leaves marked with silver veins. In late spring, light periwinkle blue, star-shaped flowers cover the foliage, and more blooms follow for many weeks.
It grows into a wide mound about two to two and a half feet tall and over three feet across, making it a good replacement for small shrubs in the landscape. Young plants start vase-shaped and fill out with age. It has earned top performer marks in university trials, including Michigan State, and it is native, easy care and deer resistant.
What it looks like
Clusters of small, five-pointed, star-shaped flowers about three quarters of an inch across in light periwinkle blue, covering the top of the plant. Leaves are lance-shaped, very dark green with distinct silver veins, carried on near-black stems in spring. The plant is a wide, mounded, shrub-like form 24 to 30 inches tall and 38 to 42 inches wide. At peak bloom the dark foliage is blanketed with pale periwinkle stars, creating strong contrast.
Growing it with lavender
Storm Cloud tolerates sun and leaner soil once established but appreciates a bit more water than lavender; its dark foliage and pale blue stars make a strong backdrop at the back of a sunny bed near lavender.
Care
Grow in full sun to part shade in average soil with regular moisture; it tolerates poorer soil and is heat and humidity tolerant. Hardy in USDA zones 4-9. Give it room to reach full width; established plants rarely need dividing.
At a glance
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Botanical name: Amsonia tabernaemontana
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Flower color: Light periwinkle blue
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Foliage: Very dark green with silver veins
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Growth habit: Wide, mounded, shrub-like
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Mature size: 24–30 in tall × 38–42 in wide
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USDA hardiness zones: 4–9
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Light: full sun, part sun to part shade
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Bloom start: Late-May
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Peak bloom: Early-June
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Bloom pattern: Long Blooming
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Deer resistance: Resistant
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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.