This plant has much in common with the Baptisia that we featured last week. Like Baptisia, Amsonia is a midwest native and thus ideally suited to growing in our Wisconsin gardens. Also like Baptisia, it forms a significant shrub-like presence (24"-36" high) and maintains an attractive appearance throughout the growing season. Its upright habit and glossy willow-like leaves form a nice backdrop to summer blooming perennials and in autumn the foliage takes on a stunning golden hue that is truly show stopping. The steel blue flowers bloom at the same time as Siberian Iris and companion beautifully with that plant.  Amsonia is a long lived, reliable perennial that will perform for years in the perennial garden. If and when you need to divide it invite over several of your most muscular friends & neighbors as it forms a basal clump approximately the consistency of steel. This Amsonia has several close relatives that are equally wonderful garden plants. These include Amsonia hubrichtii, the Threadleaf Bluestar, which has slender needle-like foliage that is nothing short of spectacular in its autumn coloration. There is also a relatively new cultivar named Amsonia 'Blue Ice' which is better suited for the smaller scale garden or for the front of the border. It reaches only 15"-18" in height and has deeper blue clusters of  "stars"  in spring.