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Botanical name: Juncus tenuis ‘Blue Dart’
Grown for its stiff upright blue-green foliage, this variety is well suited to garden beds and mixed containers; can be grown as a pond plant but is also quite drought tolerant when grown in the garden.
| Hardiness zone | 4b |
|---|---|
| Foliage type | deciduous * |
| Plant form | upright spreading |
| Mature height | 18 inches |
| Spread | 12 inches |
| Light requirements | full sun to partial shade |
| Moisture requirements | average to wet |
| Plant origin | North American native |
* deciduous = loses leaves in winter
Blue Dart Rush's attractive grassy leaves remain bluish-green in color with showy blue variegation throughout the season. Neither the flowers nor the fruit are ornamentally significant.
Blue Dart Rush is a dense herbaceous perennial grass with an upright spreading habit of growth. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.
This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cut back to the ground in late winter before active growth resumes. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Blue Dart Rush is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Mass Planting, General Garden Use, Container Planting, Bog Gardens
Blue Dart Rush will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 12 inches. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 8 years.
This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It is quite adaptable, prefering to grow in average to wet conditions, and will even tolerate some standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selection of a native North American species.
Blue Dart Rush is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a canvas of foliage against which the larger thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
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