Kansas Wildflowers and Grasses

MIST FLOWER

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Conoclinium coelestinum (L. ) DC.

[=Eupatorium coelestinum L.]

Wildcat Glades Conservation & Audubon Center, Newton County, Missouri

Perennial

Height: 10-36 inches

Family: Asteraceae - Sunflower Family

Flowering Period: July, August, September,October

Also Called:

Blue boneset, blue mistflower.

Stems:

Erect, ascending, or occasionally decumbent, 1-few, unbranched or few- to several-branched below inflorescence, moderately to densely short-hairy.

Leaves:

Opposite, triangular to ovate, 4/5 to 4 inches long, 4/5 to 2 inches wide, glabrous or minutely hairy, usually along veins; veins 3, conspicuous, 2 lateral veins arising above base as branches of mid-vein; margins toothed or shallowly scalloped; tips tapering to sharp points; stalks 1/8 to 4/5 inch long.

Inflorescences:

Panicle of small clusters terminating branches, flat-topped or dome-shaped; involucre 1/8 to 1/5 inch tall; involucral bracts 18-30, narrowly elliptic to narrowly lanceolate, usually in 2-3 weakly overlapping series, firm; tips long-pointed, often purplish; ray florets absent; disk florets 35-70, blue to blue-violet or purple.

Fruits:

Achene, slightly wedge-shaped, 1/16 to 1/10 inch long, 5-ribbed, glabrous, dark brown to black, tipped with hair-like bristles, enclosing small seed.

Habitat:

Moist, alluvial woods, stream banks, wet meadows, lake shores, ditches, disturbed sites, roadsides; moist loam, sandy or calcareous soils.

Distribution:

Southeast and northeast corners of Kansas.

Origin:

Native

Comments:

Mist flower spreads quickly and sometimes becomes a problem.

Mist flower florets