Jasione laevis Blaulicht

Jasione laevis 'Blaulicht' is a new variety of perennial jasione with bright light blue flowers, which are particularly vibrant. This small plant produces balls of sky-blue flowers in summer, at the top of thin stems. These blooms are popular with butterflies and pollinating insects. It thrives without care in well-drained soils, easily self-seeds, and spreads through stolons in sunny borders and rockeries. Rarely used in our gardens, this cousin of campanulas is ideal for low-maintenance gardens. It can also be grown in pots. Its flowers are stunning in dried or fresh bouquets.

Jasione laevis, also called smooth jasione or perennial jasione, belongs to the Campanulaceae family. There are approximately 20 species in this genus, but this small jasione is the most commonly marketed one. It is native to dry meadows and rocky areas in western and southern Europe. It prefers non-calcareous, well-drained soils that are not too arid. 

The 'Blaulicht' cultivar distinguishes itself with increased vigour, larger flowers, and a lighter blue colour. It is a low-growing plant, reaching approximately 30cm (12in) in height when flowering, with a similar spread. It spreads over time through stolons. Its basal rosettes of leaves spread indefinitely through roots that run in the soil. Flowering takes place from June to August, depending on the climate, for less than a month. Thin, very rigid stems emerge from the rosettes, about 30cm (12in) above the ground, bearing an inflorescence in a head shape. Each head is slightly flattened and globular in shape, and measures approximately 3 to 4cm (1 to 2in) in diameter. This inflorescence is composed of numerous tiny flowers with 5 narrow petals of a light and intense blue colour, which release prominent pistils and stamens. The flowers are attractive to bees and nectar-seeking insects. The flowers give way to fruits in capsules with two chambers. The very fine seeds are dispersed by the wind. They germinate in the following spring in light soils. The deciduous foliage consists of small, narrow, ovate to lanceolate, villous, grey-green leaves.

Jasione Blaulicht is a mountainous perennial that is easy to grow. It does not appreciate climates that are too hot or excessively dry in summer. It is primarily a rock plant, suitable for gravel gardens and sunny borders, just like aubrietas, Californian poppies, and Carpathian bellflowers, with which it forms beautiful polychromatic displays. It quickly fills pockets of soil in old walls and rock walls. The perennial jasione suits a wild garden perfectly. It adapts very well to cultivation in troughs or pots, in light and perfectly well-drained substrate. Create charming country bouquets with scabious, centaureas, and summer daisies, for example.