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Botanical name: Ipheion uniflorum ‘Wisley Blue’
Beautiful blue, star shaped flowers that are sweetly fragrant in early to mid-spring; grass-like foliage smells like garlic when crushed; a pest resistant variety, great for edging, containers and beds.
Other names: syn. Triteleia uniflorum
| Hardiness zone | 4b |
|---|---|
| Flower color | blue |
| Foliage type | deciduous * |
| Plant form | spreading |
| Mature height | 3 inches (5 inches with the flowers) |
| Spread | 8 inches |
| Light requirements | full sun to partial shade |
| Moisture requirements | average to moist |
| Plant origin | import |
* deciduous = loses leaves in winter
Wisley Blue Spring Starflower is bathed in stunning fragrant blue star-shaped flowers with gold eyes at the ends of the stems from late winter to mid spring that fade to white over time. Its fragrant grassy leaves remain emerald green in color throughout the season. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.
Wisley Blue Spring Starflower is an herbaceous perennial with a ground-hugging habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.
This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and usually looks its best without pruning, although it will tolerate pruning. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Wisley Blue Spring Starflower is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Mass Planting, Rock/Alpine Gardens, Border Edging, General Garden Use, Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens, Container Planting
Wisley Blue Spring Starflower will grow to be only 3 inches tall at maturity extending to 5 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 8 inches. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years. As this plant tends to go dormant in summer, it is best interplanted with late-season bloomers to hide the dying foliage.
This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by multiplication of the underground bulbs; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.
Wisley Blue Spring Starflower is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. 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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