Ozark Bluestar

Ozark Bluestar

Amsonia tabernaemontana illustris

Plant Type
Forb (Deciduous)
Landscape Layer
Herb
Sun
☀️ Full Sun, ⛅ Part Sun
Moisture
🏜️ Dry, 💧 Regular, 💧💧 High
Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Bloom
April, May
Sociability
S2 – Small groups

Ecology & Conservation

Proximity Score
4
Native Status
❌ Outaouais ❌ Ottawa ❌ QC ❌ ON
Closest Direction
SW
CEC Eco-Regions
9 – Great Plains, 9.2 – Temperate Prairies, 9.2.4 – Central Irregular Plains
Rarity Notes
NatureServe global rank G4 (Apparently Secure), national rank N4 in the US. Not native to Canada; not tracked by NatureServe in Ontario or Quebec. Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC.

S22 G4, N4; S26 SARA not listed

Migration
Disjunct
Ecological Context
Ozark bluestar is a clump-forming perennial herb of moist prairies, floodplain meadows, and stream margins across the south-central United States, from Kansas and Missouri through Arkansas, Oklahoma, and adjacent states. It occupies alluvial and gravel-bar habitats along prairie watercourses, favouring moist clay or loam soils. Now treated as Amsonia tabernaemontana var. illustris, its native range is entirely south and west of the Great Lakes region.

S4 habitat=Prairie, Plains, Meadows, Marshes; S48 specimens along Meramec/Mississippi rivers; S46 native states

Permaculture & Companion Planting

Roles
pollinator

S46 provides nectar for butterflies and bees

Edibility & Foraging

Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.

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❌ Not Edible   

Seed Source

  • Ferri Seeds
Ozark Bluestar