Like Indian paintbrush, American bluehearts is a hemiparasitic plant. While capable of producing chlorophyl on its own, it thrives when it can steal nutrients from nearby plants. This annual wildflower grows in prairies, glades, and open savannas. Its purple flowers are mainly pollinated by butterflies. It is a host plant for the common buckeye butterfly.

Uses: Host plant, butterfly gardens, showy flowers
Bloom time: June - September

Height: 1 to 3 feet
Space: 6 to 12 inches

Sun: Full sun to medium shade
Moisture: Dry to average

Seed: The tiny seeds need light, so simply surface-sow them. It's possible that a portion of freshly harvested seeds may germinate right away, but we haven't experimented yet. Thirty days or so of cold, moist stratification has been successful for us. According to the US Geological Survey, there can be 15 to 21 million seeds per pound.

• ~200 seeds per packet
• ~1 million seeds per ounce