The basal leaves are usually tingled with purple and have deep lobes toward the base, which is reminiscent of the shape of a lyre. Wildflower garden. Roadside plantings. Can be mixed in with grasses or other low groundcovers. If kept mowed, it will reward you in the spring by creating a sea of blue.

While occurring naturally in wetlands, this plant makes a good shrub in reasonably moist uplands. Use as a background plant in moist, shady areas. Charming when planted along a stream. Blooms are showy, longlasting. Has a tendency to produce suckers, so best planted where it can be contained.

Makes a good border plant that becomes a pink haze in the fall.