Houstonia longifolia

Common Names

Long-Leaved Bluet, Longleaf Summer Bluet

Summary

Longleaf Bluet is a perennial forb in the Rubiaceae family that forms a basal rosette with ascending to erect four-angled stems up to about 30 cm tall, bearing opposite leaves and small clusters of four-petaled flowers at the stem tips. Flowers are white to pale blue or pink and bloom from late spring to midsummer, with the plant growing in dry, rocky or sandy soils in open woods, prairies, ledges, and similar dry habitats across eastern North America, including eastern Canada and the eastern United States. Cultivation favors full sun to partial shade and dry, rocky or sandy soils; it tolerates poor soils and is drought-tolerant. The plant propagates by seed or division and can be used ornamentally as a groundcover, suitable for rock gardens, prairie plantings, and naturalized dry areas, and it attracts pollinators.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

4-10 inches

Spread

4-6 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 3-8

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full Sun to Partial Sun.

Soil Type

Well-drained sandy or gravelly soils

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil.

Soil pH

pH below 6.8, not strongly acidic

Bloom Color

White to pale blue; occasionally pink

Bloom Time

Spring to Summer

Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Forb/herb.

Seasons of Interest

Spring and Summer

Propagation Methods

Seeds

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, butterflies, and other pollinators