1/2-pint plug
Exposure: Full-partial sun
Soil: Wet-Medium
Height: 3 feet
Blooms: May, June, or July
Notable Features: Usually grows in large patches that expand outward from rhizomes. The bloom color is somewhat variable, but is most often a medium to pale blue violet. Prefers full sun to part shade and will not bloom well if it has more shade than sun. It grows best in moist soils that are not too heavy but will tolerate some brief flooding early in the season and moderate dryness in late summer. Beautiful addition to any moist, sunny garden.
Attracts: The flowers are cross-pollinated by bumblebees and long-horned bees (Synhalonia spp.); butterflies and skippers also visit the flowers occasionally, but they are less effective at cross-pollination. These insects suck nectar from the flowers primarily, although some of the bees also collect pollen. Caterpillars of such moths as Ctenucha virginica (Virginia Ctenucha), Spilosoma congrua (Agreeable Tiger Moth), and Macronoctua onusta (Iris Borer Moth), also feed on these plants. Deer and rabbits generally avoid it.
