I had one that I ordered from a nursery in Texas, can't remember the name. It didn't grow too well here, and when it finally bloomed, not a single butterfly touched it. And I had read that it was such a butterfly magnet! It sort of withered away, and I pulled up what was left of it the next year.
I don't recommend it, Tony, but if you still want it, I'll try to remember where I got it. It was a very small nursery, and the owner sent me a Salvia 'Henry Duelberg' because he was out of one of the plants I had ordered. I dug up Henry a few weeks ago, because no butterflies or hummingbirds ever visit him, either, and he was taking over that garden bed, spreading and spreading more each year. If a plant doesn't in some way benefit butterflies, hummers, or make vegetables for me to eat, out it goes! :)

Sherry

Hi Sherry,

I saw this photo today and it convinced me to try one and see what happens. I get a lot of monarchs in the summer, so I'm hoping they would like it. We don't usually get queens in Minny, but who knows this summer?

If someone has purchased this and had good results, please let me know where you got your plants. Thanks, Tony

Here is a link that might be useful: Queens on Mist Flower

The mist flower in that picture looks like the regular eastern mist flower C. coelestrinum which IS popular with butterflies here. C. greggii/west Texas mist flower is a bush, very different from our low-growing mist flower.

Sherry

Sherry, the guy who wrote that article is the executive director of the NABA and has written a book about flowers for the south...

Here's another picture with it covered in monarchs. Also, everyone gave it rave reviews on Dave's garden. Maybe you got a bad plant?

Here is a link that might be useful: Monarchs on texas mist flower

Maybe I got the wrong plant, Tony - the plant in your picture is beautiful and is certainly covered with butterflies!

Sherry

Yes, I did confuse Conoclinium greggii with another related, West Texas plant, Eupatorium havanense.

Good luck with your garden!

Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: Eupatarium havanense

Well the butterflies sure seem to like it in those pics. Tony, why don't you check the seed exchange - you can probably get seeds via trade or SASBE for this plant over there.

The flowers are very similar to Eupatorium (Conoclinium) coelestinum which I started from seed about 4 years ago and is doing well in one of the wilder beds. But the foliage looks quite different. I don't see butterflies on it much though the bees like it.

I'm not sure that Conoclinium greggii is hardy in our zones however.

Hi Terrene,

it is probably not hardy here, although I'm putting it in the "hot spot" part of our yard. If I decide to get seeds I will look at the exchange...still looking for plants though. Thanks, Tony

Hey Tony,

A couple of years ago, my husband and I went to the Wildseed Farm in Fredericksburg in Texas. They had this plant growing for the seeds and the plants were covered in Queen butterflies. It was amazing! They also had a nursery there and I purchased 2 plants. They didn't attract the butterflies as well as what I saw in the growing fields of the wildseed farm, but I have a lot of nectar favorites in my yard, so it may have been missed or the butterflies already had a favorite. Google "Wildseed Farms" and the link will appear. You should be able to order seeds from them, although doing a quick search on their online catalog didn't have them listed. But you may be able to call and talk to them directly. Good luck!

Mechelle

Just a bit of trivia concerning Queen butterflies and blue mist flower: I read in NewScientist a couple of years ago the the male Queen gathers a pheromone from the blue mist flower with which to attract females. I couldn't find that article but found this on line:

"Male butterflies of this genus are known to get their sex scents from plants such as heliotrope (Heliotropium) and eupatorium (Eupatorium) which contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids."

I've seen them by the hundreds on a big stand of blue mist flower at Antique Rose Emporium here in San Antonio.

Here is a link that might be useful: Above quote from this site ...

Thanks Mechelle! Roselee, I have seen pictures with monarchs all over it too so I'm hoping the same holds true for them. I'll be sure to let everyone know if it works up north too! Tony

Yep...I live I south Texas and over the years it is a battle in my yard to decide whether I want to even have blue mist flower growing in my yard. Don't get me wrong...I love the bush but it literally gets covered in Queens and that in turn means they lay eggs on the milkweed in my yard and the caterpillars wipe it out. Not such a bad thing but I'd rather have the monarchs using the milkweed. We get Queens by the thousands out here. They hog the mist flowers! Makes it hard to look for the uncommon and rarities when you have a bazillion Queens in the way :o)

interesting! We don't get Queens in the Twin Cities...although this strange weather season, who knows what might unfold?