Amsonia Verdant Venture

Amsonia ciliata var. tenuifolia ‘Verdant Venture’ sports narrow leaves, thin stems and an abundance of flowers with short, broad, powder-blue petals. Once flowering subsides near the end of spring, the deep green foliage persists all summer before turning bright yellow in the fall. The shorter, more compact habit of ‘Verdant Venture’ makes it more versatile and less dominant than other bluestars. Verdant Venture provides several seasons of interest, beginning in the spring and running through fall. Flowers with short, broad petals, held above the foliage, cover plants shortly after emergence from mid- to late spring.

During the summer, thread-like, vibrant green foliage is on display and ages to a brilliant yellow in the fall. The more compact habit of this selection relative to other bluestars allows it to fit into a greater variety of sites and landscapes. While it will be suitable for wildflower gardens in some areas, it will also fit well into cottage gardens, rock gardens, and woodland gardens.

‘Verdant Venture’ was developed from a trial of unnamed, unpatented Amsonia ciliata var. tenuifolia plants. Rounds of open pollina-tion and selection took place during 2009 and 2010, with the most compact and uniform plants being selected. ‘Verdant Venture’ was selected as a potential cultivar in October 2013 by Jim Ault, Ph.D. Because seeds were pooled when collected, the specific parentage of ‘Verdant Venture’ is unknown.