Centaurea ‘Amethyst in Snow’
Common name: Mountain bluet ‘Amethyst in Snow’
* Botanical name: Centaurea montana ‘Amethyst in Snow’
* What it is: A perennial flower with soft, mildly-fuzzy gray/green leaves that pushes up Dr. Seuss-like spikes of blue-purple flower cones with white fluted petals protruding from around each cone. Main bloom is late May through June but reblooms somewhat if cut back in early summer.
* Size: Foliage 12 inches tall… with flowers, 18 inches. Space 2 feet apart.
* Where to use: Perennial borders, cut-flower gardens, children’s gardens. Full sun/light shade.
* Care: Keep damp the first season, then water usually not needed. Scatter balanced organic granular fertilizer such as Flower-tone or Plant-tone over the bed in early spring. Snip off flower stems after bloom and also any foliage that’s become ratty. Prune off any winter-killed stems at end of winter. Divide in September if spreading beyond where you want.
* Great partner: Salvia ‘May Night’ or ‘Marcus’ or at the base of purple clematis vine.
Hello Mr Weigel,
My Amethyst in Snow (2nd year) grew rapidly, bloomed and was beautiful. I live in Lancaster County, PA. We have had much rain and wind recently. I have 3 plants and 2 of them separated in the middle of the plant and the stems curved to the sides. Also, as it gets bigger, I noticed brown leaves and some stems turned brown which I removed. Also, the plant seems to be lifting out of the ground. I want to do whatever I can to save this beautiful plant. Reading about the care division is recommended in the fall. How can I help this plant? Can it be divided now or cut back for regrowth? I have been snipping the flower stems down to the next leaf, is this the proper way? I have found your website helpful in the past. I would appreciate so much any help or suggestions that you may have. Thank you, in advance, for your time. Kathy
Kathy,
This is a beautiful bloomer but tends to be a short-lived plant no matter what you do. Good drainage is important and so is not overmulching. Either of those (plus excess rain or excess nitrogen fertilizer) can cause the flopping and separation.
It’s normal for Amethyst to tire in the heat. I cut mine back nearly the whole way when it gets ratty by mid-summer, and for years it pushed new growth within a few weeks. The last two years, my clumps have been shrinking. I’m down to almost nothing now. I got about eight good years out of them, though.
If your plants aren’t completely ratty, I’d only cut them back to good growth as opposed to nearly to the ground like I had been. That’s less stressful and not necessary unless the leaves are brown anyway.
Fall division would be better than now (heading into summer’s heat is taxing enough), but I wouldn’t automatically do that unless 1.) the clump is dying in the center but fine around the perimeter or 2.) in need of rescue from things like too-deep planting or lousy, compacted, poorly drained soil.