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Ionopsidium acaule Starry Blue Blaze

Ionopsidium acaule Starry Blue Blaze
starry blue blaze, violet cress

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1 reviews

Some seedlings have emerged, but they are flowering at ground level. It looks like a weed and not like the picture.

Brigitte L., 31/07/2018

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This plant carries a 6 months recovery warranty

More information

This Jonopsidium is a small ground cover, annual plant that in summer is adorned with a mist of tiny blue-mauve star-shaped flowers, exuding a delightful honey scent. It blooms 6 to 8 weeks after sowing. Plant it everywhere in the rockery, borders, and semi-shaded flowerbeds, or in small pots, within reach of your nose!
Flower size
5 mm
Height at maturity
10 cm
Exposure
Partial shade
Annual / Perennial
Annual
Germination time (days)
18 days
Sowing method
Direct sowing, Sowing under cover, Sowing under cover with heat
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Sowing period March to April, September
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Flowering time June to September
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Description

The Starry Blue Blaze stemless Ionopsidium acaule is one of those little-known annual plants among French gardeners. Yet its ancestor comes from the sandy and humid dunes of Portugal. There, this small annual plant takes advantage of the humidity and mild winter to flower in a blue mist with a hint of honey fragrance in the most deprived lands one can imagine. In our gardens, we can enjoy its flowering throughout the summer by sowing it early in the spring, directly in place or in small pots to perfume the terrace or balcony. Give it a semi-shaded to shaded exposure and a fresh, light soil.

 

Ionopsidium acaule (synonym Cochlearia acaulis) is an annual herbaceous plant native to the irrigated areas of southern Europe. It is endemic to the coasts of southwestern Portugal, and widespread in northwestern Italy and southwestern France. It can be found on humid and sandy soils, in sand dunes, clearings, or sometimes along roadsides. This species can tolerate moderate trampling. Uts flowers seem to shine like small stars in partial shade. Jonopsidium acaule belongs to the Brassicaceae family, formerly called crucifers, just like rapeseed and mustard. The cultivar 'Starry Blue Blaze' was selected for the bright mauve-blue colour of its flowers and its very rapid growth, allowing it to flower 6 to 8 weeks after sowing regardless of the season, if the climate permits.

It is a low plant, forming mossy carpets 10-15 cm (4-6in) tall when in bloom and spreading up to 20 cm (8in). It consists of stems bearing basal rosettes and stem leaves. The basal leaves are rounded oval and 1.2 cm (1in) wide, while the stem leaves are mostly divided into 3 to 5 lobes. they are all shiny and dark greenish olive. A plant sown in late summer will persist in winter in favourable climates (zones 8-9) and will flower before the arrival of heat and drought. Spring sowing takes about 7 weeks to flower. From July to September, depending on the sowing date, tiny solitary flowers appear in the axils of the leaves, carried by long peduncles. Each flower is composed of 4 mauve-blue petals. They are insignificant when observed individually but produced in such abundance that each plant seems adorned with a dusting of blue stars. This flowering exhales a very pleasant honey fragrance. It gives way to numerous seeds that will easily germinate in light and sandy soil.

 

With its lovely cloud-like habit and airy flowering, the Starry Blue Haze Ionopsidium acaule is superb in borders, emphasising the design of a pathway or the curve of a bed. You can also plant it in small patches, between the stones of an alpine rockery where it is not too dry and rather shady, with saxifrages and heucheras for example. This little plant can also grow as a lovely bluish lawn, in a shaded and less frequented area of the garden. Starry Blue Haze Jonopsidium will adorn troughs and planters, at the foot of perennials or shade-loving shrubs. To fully enjoy its flowering, place it near high-traffic areas or not far from the terrace.

Flowering

Flower colour mauve
Flowering time June to September
Inflorescence Solitary
Flower size 5 mm
Fragrance Fragrant, Honey scent.

Foliage

Foliage persistence Annual
Foliage colour dark green

Plant habit

Height at maturity 10 cm
Spread at maturity 20 cm
Growth rate very fast

Botanical data

Genus

Ionopsidium

Species

acaule

Cultivar

Starry Blue Blaze

Family

Brassicaceae

Other common names

starry blue blaze, violet cress

Origin

Cultivar or hybrid

Product reference8484911

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Planting and care

Sow the seeds of Jonopsidium acaule Starry Blue Haze in May-June after the last frost where it is to flower, as this plant does not like to be disturbed. Sow in well-prepared soil, lightened with plenty of sand or perlite, finely raked and free from weeds. You can also sow it earlier in pots kept at 15°C (59°F). Late summer sowing is reserved for very mild climates. Germination will occur in 14 to 21 days. Thin out your seedlings to leave only one plant every 3 cm (1in). Choose a semi-shaded location. Flowering will occur approximately 7 weeks after sowing. In open ground, this small plant is content with soil which is light and well-drained, moist to wet, preferably acidic, neutral or slightly alkaline, even poor. Water regularly in pots.

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Sowing period

Sowing period March to April, September
Sowing method Direct sowing, Sowing under cover, Sowing under cover with heat
Germination time (days) 18 days

Intended location

Suitable for Shaded rockery, Woodland edge
Type of use Edge of border, Container, Slope
Ease of cultivation Beginner
Exposure Partial shade
Soil pH Any
Soil moisture Moist soil, Damp soil, well-draining, lightweight.
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