Michigan Tweedia

Tweedia is prized for something almost no other flower can give: a soft, genuine powder blue. Its short, slightly fuzzy stems open clusters of small five-pointed star flowers in a dreamy sky blue that gently ages to lilac and mauve, so a single stem carries several shades at once. That rare, delicate color makes it a treasured accent, the go-to answer whenever a design calls for a true, tender blue.

Botanically Tweedia (Oxypetalum caeruleum), a relative of the milkweeds from South America, is grown here as a tender annual rather than gathered wild. It loves the warmth of a Michigan summer, flowering from July into September, though its slightly sticky stems and modest yields keep supply limited and make it feel like a small find.

We treat tweedia as a true specialty. It is a perennial favorite for the something-blue in a wedding, for boutonnieres, and for delicate bouquets where its unusual color does quiet, memorable work. When cutting, its stems exude a milky sap, so we sear or rinse the ends, and we handle it strictly as an ornamental since that sap can irritate skin.