Flower · GBIF taxon 5401760
Bluemink
Ageratum houstonianumAlso 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
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Photoautotrophic
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
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderAsterales
- FamilyAsteraceae
- GenusAgeratum
- SpeciesAgeratum houstonianum
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskHigh
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- 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.
Look-alike (c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman · cc-by-sa
Pollinator Sid Mosdell from New Zealand / CC BY 2.0 · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Franz Anthony, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Franz Anthony · cc-by
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