Houstonia caerulea (azure bluet or Quaker ladies) is a perennial species in the family Rubiaceae. Houstonia caerulea produces showy flowers approximately 1 cm across. These flowers are four-parted with pale blue petals and a yellow center. The foliage is a basal rosette. Stems are up to 20 cm tall with one flower per stalk. It thrives in moist acidic soils in shady areas, growing especially well among grasses.
Quaker ladies prefer partial sun and partial shade as well as soil that is slightly acidic, in the pH balance range of 5.0 to 6.0. Optimally, soil where Quaker ladies grow should remain moist but drain sharply. An organic soil that is sandy or a thin rocky soil is preferred.
Quaker Ladies (Houstonia caerulea) Description: This small perennial wildflower is about 3-6" tall, consisting of a rosette of basal leaves and one or more flowering stems with opposite leaves. The basal leaves are about ½" long, medium green, elliptic or oblanceolate in shape, glabrous, and smooth along their margins.
