Description
Shining Bluestar (Amsonia illustris), also known as Ozark Bluestar, is a spring-blooming native perennial with clusters of star-shaped, light blue flowers that brighten up early-season gardens. Native to the central U.S.—especially Missouri—it thrives in moist, sandy, rocky, or clay soils along streams, ponds, and in rain gardens.
This warm-season perennial grows 2 to 3 feet tall and maintains a tidy, shrub-like form. Its glossy green foliage turns golden yellow in fall, adding multi-season appeal. In ideal conditions, stems may become leggy—cutting them back by half after blooming helps promote denser, stronger growth.
Deer- and rabbit-resistant due to its mildly toxic sap, Shining Bluestar supports pollinators like bees and Swallowtail butterflies. It thrives in full to partial sun and is hardy in zones 5–9.
