Cupid's Dart

Family: Compositae (Daisy family)
Genus: Catananche
Species: caerulea

In February, legend has it that we’re all to focus on our heart’s desire. If you’re of a certain age, you might just be reminded this month of an old song, sung by Sam Cooke, that begins, “Cupid, draw back your bow, and let your arrow go….” Who doesn’t think of Cupid at least once during February? And what real gardener would choose roses in a box and chocolates wrapped in foil over an actual plant named after that chubby little guy with the wings and a harp?

I won’t linger too long on the answer to that question. Roses and chocolate are both dear to my heart.

Catananche caerulea has no thorns and it won’t add inches anywhere you don’t want them. This perky perennial will bring cheer to your garden this summer, however, and warm your heart with its casual habits, dependable performance, and ease of care.

Native to southwest Europe and fully hardy here, Cupid's Dart grows to two feet tall and perhaps a foot wide. Its slender stems emerge from upright clumps of slim, blue-green, fuzzy leaves that seem a little sticky. Atop the stems form silver buds that open to daisy-like blossoms with papery bracts behind the petals. They’re not in the least heart-shaped, but they are reminiscent of cornflowers as well as daisies. The species has lavender flowers, while the cultivar Catananche caerulea ‘Alba’ has white ones with blue eyes and ‘Major’ has blooms that are deep violet tending to blue. Other cultivars are appearing, too, as plant breeders have a field day with this old-garden favorite that remains quite popular in Europe. I’ve heard rumors that a yellow C. caerulea is available, but I can neither confirm that nor imagine such a departure from the white-to-deep-blue color palette. Cupid’s Darts dry well, regardless of their color, and they find good homes in either fresh or dried bouquets. They’re not prone to aphids or black spot—take that, roses! And if you start C. caerulea from seeds this spring, you’ll have flowers in August that will continue to first frost. No pruning necessary.

Cupid’s Dart should be grown in regular garden soil with good drainage, placed in full sun, and given a bit of extra water during the summer. It is a short-lived perennial so count on sowing seed or buying starts about every three years if you intend it to be a permanent fixture in your garden. It will reseed itself, although somewhat half-heartedly and usually without filling the space it once occupied.

Its name is derived from the Greek word katananke meaning “very forcefully” or “most definitely” and the Latin caerulea, which means “blue.” You have to know in your heart that the flowers will be true-blue. And just in case you were wondering: yes, Catananche caerulea was used by both the Greeks and the Romans as a key ingredient in powerful love potions.

I guess that’s a story we can all take to heart.

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!