Q: My sister-in-law is always talking about things which leave me in the dark. The other day she was talking about some plant called ageratum. I never heard of such a plant. What can you tell me about it?

A: Don’t worry about not knowing plant names – there are just too many to become proficient at all of them. I don’t even know them all and this is my full time job! Think of this as an opportunity to expand your knowledge. Ageratum is a fairly large group of plants (about 60) and the more common name is flossflower. Most ageratum produce flowers for only one growing season which would classify them as annuals. There are a few ageratums which have more than one growing season and we would classify them as perennials. Ageratum flowers range in color from white to pink to blue and purple. Native to Central and South America, they often produce loads of seed making them a favorite of gardeners as they easily propagate in the flower bed year to year. The photo is from North Carolina State University.

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