I think it is just too early for you. My Amsonia h. is colouring up nicely but I have had a couple of frosty nights.

Oh that is reassuring! No we have not had any frosty nights yet. I wonder, does the amount of sun it is getting have anything to do wtih it? Mine was in full sun mostly but since the angle of the sun changed in the fall, it's in a lot more shade. Thinking maybe I should move it...but looking around I don't have full sun anywhere in the fall.

Mine does still get full sun though the fall shadows have really extended. You probably just need that nip in the air.

FrozeBudd_z3/4 that is a beauty! Love the texture and there are not a lot of yellow spring blooming perennials (apart from bulbs). Have you had it seed around? It strikes me that you might be meticulous at deadheading.

Peren.all .... these set larger seeds that do not carry about and appear to have low germination that only a nice little crop have sprouted around mom, these are slowish to develop, but giving enough to move about and others to gift. Peren.all If this plant might possible interest you, please drop me a private message, for as well if you 're unable to track down veronicastrum' Erica', I'd love to make a trade with you of some garden treasures, we'd have the winter to compile our list! :)

Thank you FrozeBudd_z3/4. Interesting, I see us talking in the near future!

Blue Ice was selected for it's pretty flowers and Butterscotch was selected for it's fall color, though Amsonia hubrichtii has butterscotch fall color regardless of whether if it's the straight species or a cultivar. It's powdery blue flowers are beautiful too.

Blue Ice was supposedly discovered in a flat of Amsonia tabernaemontana seedlings, but further observation has led horticulturalists to suspect that it's actually a selection of Amsonia orientalis. DNA testing would answer that question. My 2 Amsonia hubrichtii are still green. I also grow Amsonia illustris which has beautiful flowers but is an agressive spreader. My Amsonia hubrichtii is rather well behaved in comparison.

I enjoy my 'Blue Ice'. The flowers are almost a navy blue...different. And it's a good size for a small garden. Mine has spread and is ready to divide. I'm considering using it almost as a ground cover along a border, It looks good all season. And I could front it with a Cranesbill mix that does get fall color and maybe putting the 'Butterscotch' behind the 'Blue Ice' as it is larger.

It has spread and I was forgetting that and I guess I need to think about if that is going to become a maintenance issue.

I've had two seasons with Butterscotch, albeit in two gardens, but it's been extremely slow for me. It didn't increase at all in the first garden. I then moved it to my new garden in April, and it didn't increase here either, although it looks healthy....and very green. This is zone 8b Portland Oregon.

I probably thin my Amsonia illustris by one half annually. They will self sow as well. I just learned that Amsonia illustris used to be Amsonia tabernaemontana var illustris. It's now been made a species. That variety was discovered in the Ozarks, the same area where Amsonia hubrichtii comes from. Amsonia hubrichtii grows in the cracks of rocks that line the shore of rivers, so it's very drought tolerant. Amsonia illustris must grow in prairies. It takes some effort to pry loose the clumps of Amsonia. Good thing the roots aren't deep. I was feeling a little guilty growing Amsonia illustris. The orthidox, militant native purists want everyone to plant species that are locally native. The locally native Amsonia here is Amsonia tabernaemontana. Of course all the native purists are growing the not locally native Anise Hyssop, Royal Catchfly, Amsonia hubrichtii, Azure Salvia, etc. Lol.

Im growing New York and Missouri Ironweed. They get very tall. Im going to start giving them an annual chop. I still long for that other Ozark denizen, Vernonia lettermannii. It grows in the same conditions as Amsonia hubrichtii.

Hi PM

Butterscotch took three years to really fill in and it wasnt till year 4, last year, thst it turned its wonderful color. its in terrible soil right on the road so it gets zero care.

Thank you all for sharing your experiences with Butterscotch. I had a very small pot of it added last season so this was it's 2nd season. It probably doubled in size which isn't saying much [g]. So A little more time in the garden. I just looked on the Bluestone Perennials site thinking I bought it there, but they don't carry it. I did notice in their description of Blue Ice, they say it does turn yellow in the fall.. Hmmm...I realize that mine is in my full sun bed, but somehow it's in a lot of shade right now, both from the lower angle of the sun in the fall and the plants that are shading it from the afternoon sun which is when I get sun there in the fall. I'll have to notice how much sun it's getting in other seasons next year.

I might try to move it if I find a sunnier spot.