Palm-leaf Mistflower is an herbaceous perennial, North American wildflower in the daisy (Asteraceae) family that spreads by its rhizomes. It is native to the southwest United States and typically found in locations with gravelly soil and full sun and growing along stream beds and overflow areas. It typically grows 12 to 18 inches tall and spreads to 24 inches wide or more. The plant has an erect to decumbent habit, often deeply lobed leaves and showy heads of deep lavender to light blue disk flowers with long threadlike stigmas. The plant's blue flowers have a misty appearance, hence the common name, and it blossoms from mid-summer to fall. The Latin species name 'greggii' was added to 23 species of plants by the American Botanical Society in honor of Josiah Gregg (1806-1850) who's exploration and horticultural findings were published as "Commerce of the Prairies". Palm-leaf Mistflower does best in dry to medium moisture, well-drained loam in full sun, but tolerates partial shade. Plants can spread somewhat aggressively by rhizomes in optimum growing conditions. Palm-leaf Mistflower is winter hardy to USDA zone 7, but where winters are cold it can be planted as an annual in a protected area or brought in as a container plant. It is also self-seeding, which makes it useful as a ground cover and can ensure year-to-year enjoyment. The mist flower that is native to the east will be better suited for North Carolina gardens. See this plant listed to the left. Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems: No known diseases or insect pests. Can become weedy.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Dry
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 6 in. - 2 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Erect; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf shape
Ovate
Leaf margin
Lobed
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The compound leaves are deeply divided into three lobes. Those lobes are again dissected. Blades ovate-deltate to ovate, margins dissected or deeply lobed, apices pointed or rounded.
Flower color
Blue; Purple/Lavender
Flower value
Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower shape
Saucer
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
A fuzzy mass of cushion-like, disk shaped, blue flower heads that blossom from July through October.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit detail
Often incorrectly called an achene; the fruit is actually a cypsela.
Stem detail
Erect stems often emerging from from knotty crowns.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Southwestern United States and northern Mexico
Distribution
Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.
Wildlife value
Attracts Queen butterflies in the fall. Often eaten by deer.