Blue Weeds – Rare And Beautiful

For many gardeners, the sight of blue in the garden is a special treat. Finding true blue flowers can be a challenge, but some of the most stunning come from plants often dismissed as blue weeds. These rare and beautiful volunteers can become the highlight of your landscape if you know how to identify and manage them.

Blue Weeds – Rare and Beautiful

This category includes a handful of resilient, often native, plants that produce extraordinary blue blooms. They are called “weeds” primarily because of their vigorous growth, not for any lack of beauty. Learning to recognize them is the first step to appreciating their value.

Identifying Common Blue-Flowered “Weeds”

Not every blue-flowered plant in your lawn is a keeper. Here are the ones most worth your attention.

• Chicory (Cichorium intybus): You’ll see its bright, sky-blue flowers on tall, wiry stems along roadsides. The blooms open in morning sun and close by afternoon. Every part of this plant is edible, from the leaves to the root which can be roasted for a coffee substitute.
• Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus): Also known as Bachelor’s Button, this annual has striking, deep blue frilly flowers. It often self-seeds readily in disturbed soil, creating beautiful drifts of color. It’s a classic cottage garden favorite for good reason.
• Forget-Me-Not (Myosotis sylvatica): These tiny, charming blue flowers with yellow centers form clouds of color in damp, shady spots. They are prolific seeders, but their delicate appearance is highly valued in woodland gardens.
• Blue-Eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium): This isn’t a grass at all, but a member of the iris family. It offers clusters of small, star-shaped violet-blue flowers with yellow eyes on grass-like foliage, perfect for the front of a border.

Why You Should Consider Keeping Them

These plants offer more than just a pretty face. They bring significant ecological benefits to your garden’s health.

• Pollinator Magnets: Bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects are strongly attracted to blue flowers. Chicory and cornflower are particularly excellent nectar sources.
• Low Maintenance: By definition, these plants thrive with little care. They are adapted to your local conditions, often needing less water and no fertilizer than cultivated hybrids.
• Soil Health Indicators: Some, like chicory, have deep taproots that break up compacted soil and bring nutrients to the surface, benefiting nearby plants.
• Natural Aesthetics: They provide a relaxed, informal look that can make a garden feel more connected to the surrounding landscape.

Managing Their Spread Responsibly

The key to enjoying these beauties without them taking over is smart management. Their vigor is their main advantage, but it needs guidance.

Containment Strategies

You don’t have to let them roam free. A few simple tactics keep them in check.

• Strategic Deadheading: The most effective method. Remove spent flowers before they set seed. This controls spread and often encourages more blooms.
• Designated Areas: Allow them to naturalize in a specific bed, a wild corner, or between established shrubs where they won’t smother other plants.
• Root Barriers: For plants with running roots, sinking edging or planting them in bottomless pots buried in the soil can limit their expansion.
• Regular Monitoring: Take a weekly walk through your garden to spot and remove unwanted seedlings while they are still easy to pull.

When Removal is Necessary

Sometimes, a plant is in the wrong place. Here’s how to remove it effectively.

1. Identify Correctly: Ensure you’re not removing a desirable plant. Use a plant ID app or guide.
2. Remove Before Seeding: Pull or dig the plant out once you see flower buds, before the seeds mature and scatter.
3. Get the Whole Root: For taprooted plants like chicory, use a long weeding tool to loosen the soil and get the entire root. Any piece left behind may regrow.
4. Dispose Properly: For plants already in seed, do not compost. Place them in a yard waste bag to prevent spreading.

Incorporating Blue Weeds into Garden Design

With a little planning, these plants can elevate your garden’s design. They add spontaneity and a wonderful color palette.

• Meadow Gardens: Combine cornflowers, chicory, and blue-eyed grass with native grasses and other wildflowers for a low-maintenance, pollinator-friendly meadow.
• Cottage Garden Borders: Let forget-me-nots self-seed among roses, peonies, and foxgloves. Their soft blue complements pinks and purples perfectly.
• Path Edgers: Use low-growing blue-eyed grass to line a garden path. It creates a soft, natural edge that’s full of charm.
• Container Gardens: Grow cornflowers or forget-me-nots in a large pot. This gives you control over the soil and completely prevents unwanted spreading.

Propagation and Care Tips

If you want more of a specific plant, encouraging it is usually straightforward. These species want to grow.

Collecting and Sowing Seeds

1. Allow a few flowers on your best plants to mature fully and dry on the stem.
2. On a dry day, snip the seed heads and place them in a paper bag to finish drying for a week.
3. Gently crush the heads to release the seeds, then seperate them from the chaff.
4. Store seeds in a labeled paper envelope in a cool, dry place. Most are best sown directly in fall or early spring.

Basic Growing Conditions

While tough, they do have preferences that will help them thrive their best.

• Sunlight: Most require full sun (6+ hours) for the best flower production. Forget-me-nots are a notable exception, preferring partial shade.
• Soil: Well-draining soil is crucial. Many tolerate poor, rocky, or sandy soil, but they will not survive constantly soggy conditions.
• Water: Water to establish new plants, but once mature, they are often quite drought-tolerant. Overwatering can lead to leggy growth and fewer flowers.
• Fertilizer: Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers. They promote leafy growth at the expense of flowers and can make plants too lush and floppy.

Common Challenges and Solutions

Even easy plants can face issues. Here’s how to troubleshoot common problems.

• Leggy Growth: Usually means not enough sun. Transplant to a sunnier location or cut back nearby plants that are shading them.
• No Flowers: Could be too much nitrogen fertilizer, excess shade, or the plant is putting energy into seed production. Deadhead regularly to promote more blooms.
• Over-Aggressive Spreading: If a plant is moving to fast, be more diligent with deadheading. Consider digging out and relocating it to a more contained area or replacing it with a less vigorous cultivar.
• Pests: Aphids may appear. A strong spray of water from the hose is usually sufficent to dislodge them. Encourage ladybugs and lacewings, which are natural predators.

FAQ About Blue Garden Plants

Q: Are all blue-flowered weeds safe for pets?
A: Not necessarily. Always verify a plant’s identity and toxicity. For example, while chicory is edible, other blue-flowered plants like some lupines can be toxic. When in doubt, keep pets away or remove the plant.

Q: What’s the difference between a weed and a wildflower?
A: It’s often just perspective. A “weed” is simply a plant growing where it’s not wanted. The same chicory plant is a weed in a formal lawn but a cherished wildflower in a naturalized garden.

Q: Can I buy seeds for these “blue weeds”?
A: Absolutely! Many, like cornflower and forget-me-not, are commonly sold as wildflower or cottage garden seed mixes. Look for heirloom or native seed suppliers for the best results.

Q: How do I get a true blue color in my garden?
A: Blue flowers can sometimes appear more purple or pink based on soil pH. For truest blues, ensure good sunlight and avoid acidifying your soil excessively, as some blues turn pinker in acidic conditions.

Q: Will these plants come back every year?
A: It depends. Chicory is a perennial. Cornflower is an annual but readily self-seeds. Forget-me-nots are often biennial or short-lived perennials that self-seed. Knowing the life cycle helps you manage them.

Adding these so-called blue weeds to your garden is about changing your mindset. It’s about seeing the potential in resilient plants and recognizing that beauty often appears on it’s own terms. With the guidelines above, you can enjoy their rare and beautiful blue blooms while maintaining a garden that feels both intentional and wonderfully alive.