Mystery (maybe) flower

19 years ago

A while back I posted some photos here, asking folks if they could help me identify a mystery plant. Now I have another -- which may be a cousin to the first (which was identified as a perennial bachelor's button) because the flowers look quite similar.

Blooms are composite, light blueish purple with white center, around 2 inches across. The plant stands about two feet high. Round stems, branching a few times to stalks with blooms.

It's growing very happily in a mostly shaded garden near a pine tree. It's been blooming for 2-3 weeks now and from the number of unopened buds I wouldn't be surprised to see it it continue to bloom for the rest of the summer. We live in northern Massachusetts.

Any takers for identifying it?

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Comments (4)

runktrun
19 years ago
I would bet the pension plan on Stokes Aster (Stokesia Laevis). It is in my book a trouble free beauty that is a great cut flower as well. kt
WendyB 5A/MA
19 years ago
And an interesting plant it is. I bought two of them in '02 and somehow somewhere somewhay they became a no-show. My usual thorough records (LOL!) don't list any reason or disappearance date. This year I saw one of them blooming. Georgeous. And I happened to be viewing that bed at dusk recently and discovered the flowers close up at night.
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york_rose
19 years ago
Stokesia or another "bachelor's button/knapweed" (Centaurea sp.)
pmailman
Original Author
19 years ago
Thank you!

According to another source, Stokesia are related to bachelor's buttons, so I guess my "gee, these could be related..." was a fairly good guess.

Do they propagate well by seed? We'd love to start some more if we can.