Conoclinium dissectum – Palmleaf Thoroughwort

Conoclinium dissectum - Palmleaf Thoroughwort, Palm-leaf Mistflower, Blue Mist, Mist Flower, Gregg's Mistflower, Gregg's Eupatorium, Texas Ageratum (flowers)

Conoclinium dissectum - Palmleaf Thoroughwort, Palm-leaf Mistflower, Blue Mist, Mist Flower, Gregg's Mistflower, Gregg's Eupatorium, Texas Ageratum

Conoclinium dissectum - Palmleaf Thoroughwort, Palm-leaf Mistflower, Blue Mist, Mist Flower, Gregg's Mistflower, Gregg's Eupatorium, Texas Ageratum (leaves)

Plant Name

Scientific Name: Conoclinium dissectum

Synonyms: Conoclinium greggii, Eupatorium greggii. This species is still frequently known by both of these synonyms.

Common Names: Palmleaf Thoroughwort, Palm-leaf Mistflower, Blue Mist, Mist Flower, Gregg's Mistflower, Gregg's Eupatorium, Texas Ageratum

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial

Growth Habit: Herb/Forb

Arizona Native Status: Native

Habitat: Upland. This wildflower grows in sun to part shade in the Chihuahuan Desert.

Flower Color: Light powder blue, lavender, or pale pinkish purple

Flowering Season: Spring, Summer, Early fall

Height: Up to 2 feet (60 cm) tall

Description: The rayless flower heads are clustered at the stem tips and have light blue to purple disk flowers with similarly colored, long, threadlike stigmas. The leaves have a tapering leaf base and are green, minutely hairy, opposite, petiolate, egg-shaped to somewhat triangular, and deeply dissected or lobed with either pointed or rounded tips. The stems are erect to sprawling, green to brownish, and minutely hairy. The plants reproduce by seed or spread by underground rhizomes.

The similar Ageratina herbacea, A. lemmonii, A. paupercula, A. rothrockii, and Koanophyllon solidaginifolium all have white or whitish flowers, while Ageratina wrightii, Ageratum corymbosum, Chromolaena bigelovii, Eupatoriadelphus maculatus, Fleischmannia incarnata, F. pycnocephala, and F. sonorae do not have cleft or divided leaves.

Special Characteristics

Butterfly Plant – The flowers attract numerous butterflies, especially Queen (Danaus gilippus) butterflies. This is one of the very best plants for attracting butterflies.

Classification

Kingdom: Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Asteridae
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae – Aster family
Genus: Conoclinium DC. – thoroughwort
Species: Conoclinium dissectum A. Gray – palmleaf thoroughwort