Fauna
Flower

Bluemink

Ageratum houstonianum

Also known as Flossflower, Goatweed, Blueweed, Mexican Paintbrush

Bluemink brightens warm landscapes with fuzzy, lavender-blue flowerheads that bloom relentlessly from late spring until the first winter freeze. Native to Central America and Mexico, this compact annual produces glandular foliage that releases a musky scent when brushed. Outside cultivated beds, prolific wind-dispersed seeds allow it to rapidly colonize roadsides and pastures, where it frequently outcompetes native flora.

FloweringAnnualOrnamental
Bluemink reference1 / 7
(c) Ankit Shakya, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyPhotoautotrophic
Predators
  • Slugs
  • Spider mites
  • Aphids
ThreatsHerbicides and mechanical clearing in agricultural areas where it acts as a weed
HabitatsDisturbed soils, pasture edges, stream banks, roadsides, and garden beds
Life span1 year
Classification
  1. OrderAsterales
  2. FamilyAsteraceae
  3. GenusAgeratum
  4. SpeciesAgeratum houstonianum
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskHigh
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is high
Contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids toxic to livestock and pets; do not ingest.
Why it is dangerous
All tissues contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids and precocenes, which cause chronic liver toxicity and cellular lesions in grazing livestock and pets.
How to recognize a risky encounter
Recognizable by compact mounds of soft-hairy, oval foliage topped with tight corymbs of powder-puff blue to purplish florets.
What to do
Keep ornamental plantings away from grazing animals, and pull with gloves if you have sensitive skin.
Responsible observation
  • Garden care: Plant in fertile, moist, well-drained soil under full sun for maximum bloom density.
  • Containment: Deadhead spent flowerheads promptly to prevent unwanted reseeding in warm climates.
Related species
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