Digging deeperPlant Library

Laurentia in bloom

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Other Names:  Rock Isotome, Blue Star Flower, Solenopsis,

Description:

This variety features lovely, star shaped, violet-blue flowers that rise above ferny cut foliage; this compact mounded plant is great for border fronts, patio edging, or containers

Ornamental Features

Laurentia features showy lavender star-shaped flowers with violet overtones rising above the foliage from late spring to mid fall. Its attractive deeply cut ferny leaves remain green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Laurentia is an herbaceous annual with a mounded form. 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 cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Laurentia is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Laurentia will grow to be about 8 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 12 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 10 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. Although it's not a true annual, this fast-growing plant can be expected to behave as an annual in our climate if left outdoors over the winter, usually needing replacement the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat.

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 species is not originally from North America.

Laurentia 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 mass of flowers and foliage against which the 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.