| Description | Ageratum Leda (Ageratum houstonianum) is a shorter blue flowering annual with flossy flowers. |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | (a-jer-A-tum)(hew-so-nee-AH-num) |
| Plant Type | Annuals, Site author's observations |
| Sunlight | full, mostly sunny, best with at least 1/2 day of full, tolerates some shade |
| Moisture | average, may need additional moisture during dry spells. |
| Soil & Site | average |
| Temperature | A tender garden annual turning black at the first frost. Planting sooner than Memorial Day weekend may be risky (zone #5). |
| Flowers | Small 1/4-1/2" tubular flowers are in clusters forming a fluffy ball, borne on an inflorescence called a cyme; the primary color is blue, also rose, pink, and white. |
| Fruit | Fruit is a cypsela, which is a type of achene. |
| Leaves | Leaves are green, simple, and chordate with a crenate (rounded teeth) margin. |
| Dimensions | 8-10 plus inches tall |
| Maintenance | When flowers begin to wither, they need to be deadheaded. However, this can be challenging for some cultivars, as their flowers are on short stems and can be difficult to remove. I find deadheading this type of plant quite unpleasant. Additionally, taller varieties may require staking to keep them upright. |
| Propagation | It has small seeds that should be started 6-8 weeks before they are planted in the garden. |
| Native Site | Native to Mexico and Central and South America |
| Cultivar Origin | The genus was named after William Houston (1695-1733), a Scottish physician who collected the species in the Antilles and Mexico. |
| Notes & Reference | #109-Annuals and Tender Perennials for North American Gardens (Wayne Winterroud), #275-North Carolina Botanical Garden ((https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/), #274-Site Authors' observations and growing experiences of different cultivars of Ageratum |
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