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Blue Flossflower

Blue Flossflower

Ageratum houstonianum or Ageratum mexicanum

This flower is also commonly known as Bluemink. 

This one was found on the fringes of an out building at the Raulston Arboretum. Looked like a lovely weed at the time. The corymb that is in focus in the picture above shows the flower cluster with florets that once blooming will have thin, threadlike petals (hence flossflower). 

The flossflower is an annual plant that likes cooler temperatures and is often used in garden as a good flower for rocky or border areas or even in pots (as most retain a shorter stature). The plant is thought to originate in Mexico and Central America but has naturalized itself nicely in other areas – including the coastal Eastern US (where it found me). The flowers are most commonly blue – but they can also be lilac, white or pink.

Flossflower Defense
Plants are neat – sure, but plants are also really incredibly smart and sneaky. Because plants can’t run/hide from predators, they have to be much more clever about defending themselves.  They usually do this with irritants or thorns, chemicals that attack the nervous system, bad taste, bad smells, mimicry, etc. The flossflower, via pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) defend themselves in a very interesting way. The PAs, when eaten by insects, can affect the insects’ sex hormones rendering their larvae sterile. Protection by reproductive sabotage!

P.S. Happy first day of Spring!