FNPS Plant Database
Conoclinium coelestinum
mistflower, blue Mistflower
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Nomenclature
Common Name:
mistflower, blue Mistflower
Synonym(s):
Genus species:
Conoclinium coelestinum
Family:
Asteraceae (Compositae)
Plant Specifics
Form:
flower
Size:
1-2 ft
Life Span:
short-lived perennial
Flower Color:
blue, purple, lavender
Fruit Color:
Phenology:
winter dormant; blooms late summer into fall, and forms large patches by rhizomes
Noted For:
Landscaping
Recommended Uses:
Moist wildflower garden or butterfly garden. Edges of water features. Will spread to form large patches.
Considerations:
Availability:
Propagation:
Seed, division. Seeds are available through the Florida Wildflowers Growers Cooperative.
Light:
Moisture Tolerance:
Always Flooded------------------------------------------------Extremely Dry
Usually moist, occasional inundation ---to--- Not wet but not extremely dry
Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:
Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water
Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:
Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray
Soil or Other Substrate:
Loam, Organic (muck), Sand
Soil pH:
adaptable
Suitable to Grow In:
8A, 8B, 9A, 9B, 10A, 10B, 11
USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

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Ecology
Wildlife:
Nectar plant for obscure skipper (Panoquina panoquinoides), salt marsh skipper (Panoquina panoquin), southern broken-dash (Wallengrenia otho), three-spotted skipper (Cymaenes tripunctus) and other butterflies. Attracts bees.
Native Habitats:
Riverine swamps, cypress savannas
Natural Range in Florida:
Visit the USF Libraries Atlas of Florida Plants
Comments:
Ethnobotany:
General Comments:
Citations:
Gann, G.D., C.J. Abbott, C.G. Stocking, K.N. Hines, and collaborators. Natives For Your Neighborhood. https://www.regionalconservation.org/beta/nfyn/plantdetail.asp?tx=Conocoel , accessed 2025. The Institute for Regional Conservation. Delray Beach, Florida.
Patton, Sean, and Kendall Southworth. 2025. Florida's Aquatic Butterfly Gardens: How to Create a Beautiful Backyard Habitat for Attracting 70+ Species with 100+ Native Plants. Pineapple Press, Palm Beach.
