Blue Lace Flower

A charming and elegant Australian native that has become a favourite in UK cutting gardens for its delicate, umbel-shaped flower heads. The blooms consist of hundreds of tiny, lavender-blue star-shaped flowers, creating a soft, lace-like appearance similar to Queen Anne's Lace but in a rare sky-blue hue. It has a light, sweet fragrance and grows to about 60cm tall on slender, upright stems with deeply lobed, grey-green foliage. As a half-hardy annual (H2), it requires a long growing season and is best started indoors in early spring. It can be sensitive to root disturbance, so sowing in biodegradable pots is a good technique. It thrives in a sheltered, sunny position with well-drained soil. In the UK, it may require staking in more exposed gardens. The flowers are exceptionally long-lasting in a vase and add a romantic, airy feel to both borders and floral arrangements. It is also quite attractive to smaller pollinators. Short flowering window compared to some, but worth the effort.

Sun: Full sun.

Soil: Well-drained, fertile soil.

Hardiness: H2 — down to 1°C.

Flowering: Jul, Aug, Sep.