Amsonia ciliata Ernst Pagels

Amsonia 'Ernst Pagels' is a hybrid between the finely cut-leaved and slow-growing Amsonia hubrichtii and the slightly more robust A. ciliata. The result of this cross is a graceful plant with light foliage that takes on beautiful yellow tones in autumn. At the beginning of summer, this hardy and long-lasting perennial is adorned with clusters of relatively large star-shaped flowers, which are a very bright light lilac blue colour. This perennial, both dense and airy, will bring a lot of lightness and rustic charm to flower beds, when preferably planted in semi-shaded areas.

Amsonia Ernst Pagels, obtained in the Netherlands, is a plant from the Apocynaceae family, just like periwinkle. These Amsonias are native to the United States. They are often found growing in sandy and loamy soils, in slightly humid environments. The 'Ernst Pagels' variety was named in honour of a famous German perennial breeder. The plant develops numerous stems that form bushy and very flexible clumps, reaching about 40 cm (16in) in height when in bloom and over 50 cm (20in) in width. This plant sometimes takes a little time to establish, but it lives for many years. Its long light blue buds open into small lilac-blue stars that resemble widely open trumpets. They are grouped in panicles and bloom abundantly between June and July, for several weeks. The leaves are entire, narrow, and thin. They are a slightly acidic green colour and are 3 to 6 cm (1 to 2in) long, very attractive even outside of the flowering period. The deciduous foliage takes on a beautiful autumn colour, which is bright yellow, before disappearing in winter.

Very hardy, Amsonia grow easily in partial shade, in good garden soil that does not dry out too much in summer. Underused in gardens, Amsonia, like an ornamental grass, enhances all its neighbours. You can easily incorporate this Ernst Pagels variety into a perennial flower bed with a natural habit, along with daylilies, willowherbs, ironweeds, lilies, perennial geraniums, or with grasses like autumn-coloured Miscanthus ('Sioux', 'Purpurescens'). It is an excellent plant for semi-shade, to be combined with bleeding hearts, columbines, and Japanese anemones, which will take over in August-September. Planted in groups, in front of a mix of baptisias and sunflowers, the Amsonia Ernst Pagels creates an evocative and wild scene, as if from another continent.