That's what my husband always says! Be patient! I guess I'll have to wait couple of more years to see that beautiful plant in its full glory.

I have sowed both amsonia tabernaemontana and a.hubrichtii. I confess, I wanted the eastern bluestar for the flowers but the hubrichtii is a definite must have for the leaves alone - are yours doing that wonderful autumn colouration, mkp? Of course, my seedlings are still only an inch or so tall, so it will be a long wait...but when you are waiting on dozens of different things, there are always going to be some, every year, which finally reach their peak.

They do turn yellow in the fall but because they're so small still, it's not very eye catching. When I got them I ordered them online because I didn't think I'd be able to buy them here anywhere. After they were in the ground for couple of months, I saw them at a greenhouse already established and quite tall! And they were kinda cheep, but I thought I'd already bought them once so I'll wait until these are mature. But it's taking a while so now I wish I got those as well. If I could, I'd put them in every nook and cranny of my yard! They are an amazing looking plant.

Be sure to give them plenty of room. Mine are like small shrubs, and the fall color ranges from a nice clear yellow-gold to this:

I also appreciate the season-long texture of the foliage and the blue spring flowers.

Wow! That color is amazing! I don't think I've ever seen a pink hue on them before. Yes, I'm only planing annuals around right now in anticipation of them getting bigger, so when they get like that, they will have plenty of room.

I've read (in Fine Gardening, I think) that a. hubrichtii can take a while to become established, but is well worth the wait.

Beautiful Babs!

I guess I got lucky. The ones I ordered from STG last fall are getting ready to bloom, even as small as they are. I Hope mine grow up to look like Babs :)

i have both and checked this morning and found the taebernaemontana in bloom. have to say that if it weren't for the fall display i wouldn't grow them.

That's exactly what two of mine look like and no bloom. The third one is a bit bigger, no bloom. I noticed that the one that is bigger, is closer to a barberry bush. Does barberry make soil more acidic and should I give them more acid?

They don't seem to be fussy about soil, and will grow in acid sand (what I have), but are native to areas with neutral to basic soils (OK and AR) that are much more clay-y in texture. Patience . . . you bought little bare root plants, which IME unless they were handled quite well at the nursery will grow slower the first year than ones that weren't bare-rooted. They will bloom when they are ready.