Mist Flower (Wild Ageratum; Blue Boneset)

Media
Photo of mist flower or wild ageratum plants with flowers
Scientific Name
Conoclinium coelestinum (formerly Eupatorium coelestinum)
Family
Asteraceae (Daisies)
Description

Mist flower, or wild ageratum, is a vigorous perennial bearing fluffy-looking, bluish-purple flowerheads. It often occurs in large stands. The flowerheads are in dense clusters (35–70 tiny florets per head), terminal or arising from the leaf axils, and blue or violet (rarely white). Blooms July–October. The leaves are opposite on short stems, ovate to triangular, with large teeth.

Similar species: The nonnative annual ageratum (Ageratum conyzoides) is sold as a bedding plant for flower gardens. That plant, however, is an annual with thin, fibrous roots, while mist flower is a vigorous perennial with a mass of interwoven rhizomes. Both are in the same tribe as bonesets, thoroughworts, and snakeroot.

Size

Height: normally 12–18 inches.

Where To Find
image of Mist Flower Wild Ageratum; Blue Boneset distribution map

Scattered, mostly south of the Missouri River.

Occurs in bottomland forests, swamps, banks of streams and rivers, margins of ponds and lakes, marshes and fens, ditches, gardens, railroads, roadsides, and shaded to open disturbed areas.

Under cultivation it spreads rapidly with an interwoven mass of roots and is highly aggressive. Cut back the plants during the summer to encourage a more compact growth habit before flowering begins in August. Where its spreading isn't a problem, it provides good color until the first frost.

Butterflies, skippers, and bees are strongly attracted to the flowers. Other insects eat the foliage. Not many mammals eat this plant because of its bitter taste.

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Similar Species
About Wildflowers, Grasses and Other Nonwoody Plants in Missouri
A very simple way of thinking about the green world is to divide the vascular plants into two groups: woody and nonwoody (or herbaceous). But this is an artificial division; many plant families include some species that are woody and some that are not. The diversity of nonwoody vascular plants is staggering! Think of all the ferns, grasses, sedges, lilies, peas, sunflowers, nightshades, milkweeds, mustards, mints, and mallows — weeds and wildflowers — and many more!