Rainy Side Gardeners' Featured Book
A Book of Blue Flowers
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Perhaps the most uncommon hue in the plant kingdom, the color blue strikes a distinctive note in any garden. In this fascinating book, now available in paperback, Robert Geneve provides a wide selection of blue flowers that will help readers expand the range of colors in their gardening palettes — from powder blue and turquoise to navy and violet. A well-traveled garden visitor and gifted photographer, the author has included more than 150 stunning photos of blue flowers from gardens around the world. A Book of Blue Flowers is an ideal handbook for gardeners of all skill levels and in any climate.
Excerpt from Book
Blue is not a common color in plant organs other than flowers. Our view of the world would be quite different if a segment of deciduous plants had brilliant blue-colored leaves included with the reds and yellows that dominate fall. Red as a fall color is the result of unmasking and intensifying anthocyanins as chlorophyll breaks down in the leaf. Since blue is one manifestation of anthocyanin pigments, I am not sure why it is not found in fall colors except that it may be related to the cellular pH in senescing leaves. It suggests that blue as a flower color has advantages for attracting pollinators that warranted its evolution in flowers.
Even so, some types ot plants normally have bluish leaves. They can complement species with blue flowers by repeating their color in the garden. Blue foliage color is more common in certain plant groups than others. It is most common in conifers such as fir (Abies). juniper (Juniperus), cedar (Cedrus), and spruce (Picea); ornamental grasses such as fescue (Festuca) and oatgrass (Helictotricon); and desert species such as Agave, Echeveria, and Euphorbia. It is even found in perennials like hostas and rue (Ruta). The blue coloring is not always due to additional anthocyanin pigmentation in the leaf. Rather, many of these plants have a glaucous bloom made of waxes. This bloom provides a "cloudy window" over the leaf. When seen through this covering layer, the normwal green color of the leaf appears blue. This ecological adaptation helps the leaf to reduce water loss in harsh environments.
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