Flossflower (Ageratum, Pussy-Foot)
Ageratum houstonianum. ASTERACEAE (COMPOSITAE).
Planting and Growing Flossflower
You’ll find everything you need to know to plant and grow flossflower in the accompanying table’s tabs:
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- Flowers, foliage, and root structure of flossflower
- Plant hardiness and growing conditions for flossflower
- Season of bloom and planting time for flossflower
- When, how deep, and where to plant flossflower
- How to plant flossflower
- Watering, fertilizing, care, and pests or diseases of flossflower
- Landscape and container uses of flossflower
- Comments about flossflower and its features
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Growing Flossflower
Many cultivars of mounding, upright annual herbs, to 30 in. (75 cm) tall. Fuzzy, green, heart-shaped, finely toothed leaves, to 5 in. (13 cm) long.
Common cultivars include Ageratum houstonianum ‘Album’, ‘Blue Blazer’, ‘Blue Danube’, ‘Blue Horizon’, ‘North Sea’, and ‘Summer Snow’.
Planting and Care Guide
Blooms
Many tiny, blue, pink, purple, violet, white, fuzzy flowers, to 1/4-in. (6-mm) wide, in clustered heads, in early summer–autumn. Long-lasting blooms.
Best Climates
Self-seeding, zones 4–11.
Soil Type and Fertility
Moist, well-drained soil. Fertility: Rich. 6.5–7.0 pH.
Where and How to Plant
Start indoors in early spring, zones 2–9, transplanting after frost hazard has passed, in full sun to partial shade; sow outdoors when soil warms, zones 10–11, 6–9 in. (15–23 cm) apart.
Proper Care
Easy. Keep moist during growth and bloom. Fertilize monthly. Deadhead spent flowers to prolong bloom. Protect from sun, heat, zones 9–11. Propagate by seed.
About This Plant
Good choice for beds, borders, containers, edgings in cottage, formal, meadow, wildlife gardens. Good for cutting; scald stems after picking, soak stems in cool water before arranging. Attracts birds, butterflies. Mealybug, orthegia, whitefly and sclerotinia wilt susceptible.