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Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum)

• Family: Aster (Asteraceae)
• Flowering: July-October.
• Field Marks: This species is distinguished by its many heads of blue or violet flowers and its opposite, generally triangular, toothed leaves.
• Habitat: Along streams, wet meadows, low woods, wet ditches, around lakes and ponds.
• Habit: Perennial herb with slender rhizomes.
• Stems: Erect, branched or unbranched, smooth or hairy, up to 2 1/2 feet tall.
• Leaves: Opposite, simple, ovate to lance-ovate to generally triangular, pointed at the tip, rounded or heart-shaped at the base, usually somewhat hairy, toothed, up to 3 1/2 inches long, up to 2 1/2 inches broad, usually with short stalks.
• Flowers: Many crowded into a head, with many heads per plant, each head up to 1/2 inch across and subtended by narrow, pointed, green bracts up to 3/8 inch long, all flowers blue or violet, forming a tube.
• Sepals: 0.
• Petals: 5, united to form a tube, blue or violet.
• Stamens: 5.
• Pistils: Ovary inferior.
• Fruits: Achenes about 1/10 inch long, with several white, thread-like hairs up to 1/4 inch long.
• Notes: This species is often known as Eupatorium coelestinum. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental.