Heavenly Blue Tweedia (Oxypetalum coeruleum) – True blue blooms, milkweed cousin, butterfly magnet.
Real talk: true blue flowers are rare. That’s why Heavenly Blue Tweedia has a cult following. With powdery, star-shaped blooms in soft sky blue, this plant brings color, pollinators, and cut-flower cred all in one fuzzy little package.
A South American native and a proud cousin of milkweed, Tweedia is a tender perennial that acts like an annual in cooler zones. It's a scrambler — give it a little support, and it'll climb. No support? It’ll do its best impression of a shrubby wildflower. Either way, the blooms keep coming all summer long.
Why you'll love it (and pollinators will, too):
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True blue, star-shaped flowers about 1" across
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Grows 2–3 feet tall (taller with support)
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Attracts bees, butterflies, and yes — Butterflies
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Long-lasting as a cut flower (wipe the sap off the stems)
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Leaves turn a pretty red in fall
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Blooms summer to frost in most zones
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Easy to grow and fast to bloom
The fine print (because safety matters):
Tweedia has a milky sap that can irritate skin — it’s nothing wild, just don’t rub it in your eyes like a toddler. Wipe stems clean after cutting and you’re golden.
Growing notes:
Best in full sun with well-drained soil. Protect from strong wind unless you enjoy staking floppy plants. Hardy in zones 10–11, but easy to grow as an annual anywhere else.
Bottom line:
If you want something whimsical, blue, pollinator-friendly, and cut-flower approved, Heavenly Blue Tweedia is your pick. It’s basically the flower equivalent of a dreamy sky on a good hair day.
