Plant ID card |
|
|---|---|
Botanical name |
Ageratum houstonianum. |
Common name |
Agerate. |
Family |
Asteraceae. |
Origin |
Latin America. |
Dimensions |
The height and width of the plant vary from 20 to 60 cm for the most branched varieties. |
Foliage |
The leaves are green, oval and finely serrated. The foliage is deciduous. |
Bloom |
The flowering period extends from April to September. The plant is then covered with corymbs of flowers in the shape of small pompoms. Originally, Agerate flowers were all blue, today there are many pink, white or purple variants. Mexican Agerate is the best-known species in France with its bright blue flowers. |
Exposure |
Full sun |
Ground |
Any type of soil, preferably well drained. |
Rusticity |
5°C. Ageratum is a frost-resistant annual plant. It disappears with the arrival of the first frosts. |
Agerate is a very easy to care for annual plant. However, it requires frequent watering during the summer period.
How to plant an Ageratum?
The average size of the Agerate allows it to fit almost anywhere. It will be perfect for your flowerbeds, borders, paths and for easily creating a rock garden, but also for your balconies, terraces, planters or containers.
After the last spring frosts, choose
a location well exposed to the sun
. Prepare a light, well-drained substrate by mixing your garden soil with a special planting soil. Then, in the ground, dig a wide and deep hole, cover the bottom with your mixture, place your plant in the middle and pack the earth around it. Water abundantly. For planting in a container, remember to put clay balls in the bottom before filling with soil.
Then, install
a thick mulch at the base
of your plant to keep it cool and avoid wasting water. For a varied clump of Ageratum, space the plants at least 20 cm apart.
Install a thick mineral or vegetable mulch at the base of your plant to keep it cool. Copyright (c) 2018 Real Moment/Shutterstock. No use without permission.
Also read: 20 exceptional purple flowers for your garden
When and how to sow Agerate?
Sowing Ageratum is
very easy
to succeed and is above all much more economical than purchasing a plant already grown in a garden center. It is carried out under cover, between February and April, with a minimum temperature between 15°C and 18°C.
To do this, prepare a large terrine filled with seedling soil, about 10 cm thick.
Sow your seeds
broadcast
over the entire surface. Sift 1 cm of potting soil on top. Tamp lightly and water in fine rain. Seed emergence will take place 7 days later.
You can then
transplant your young plants in place in the spring
, after the frosts. If necessary, add an intermediate step with transplanting your young shoots into pots before planting them in the ground.
You can transplant your young Ageratum plants in place in the spring, after the frosts. Copyright (c) 2023 Lushchikov Valeriy/Shutterstock. No use without permission.
Annual plant: which Ageratum to choose?
Ageratum 'Leda'
, offers magnificent two-tone flowering, with blue-lavender flowers with white centers. Its compact habit is perfectly suited to growing in pots;
Ageratum
houstonianum
'Blue Ball'
is covered all summer with numerous small flowers of a very intense blue. It looks great on the edge of a flower bed or in a planter, especially if it is grown in a row;
The pink Mexican Ageratum
is very easy to care for and is pleasantly noticed for its beautiful clusters of purplish-pink flowers.
Ageratum has the ephemeral charm of an annual plant but its
spectacular flowering
will leave you with unforgettable memories. In addition, it is a honey plant that will abundantly satisfy the nutritional needs of the many pollinating insects in your garden and your balcony!