Plant Profile: Liatris spicata
Liatris spicata, commonly known as Dense Blazing Star is a summer-flowering native plant that adds an striking spire of color to the garden.
It has medium green, grassy foliage at its base and, in July, 3 to 4 foot tall spikes of rosy-purple, densely packed flower spikes appear. The flowers open from the top to the bottom over about 3 weeks. The flowers are loved by pollinators of all kinds. Liatris is recognized by the Xerces Society as being of special value to native bees and is singled out as a Monarch butterfly nectar source.
Birds also benefit from Liatris. The flowers attract hummingbirds. If flower spikes are left for fall and winter, seed eating birds will snack on the seeds. Be aware though that they will do some self-seeding if seed heads are left in place. Liatris is also a good cut flower.
There are 40 different species of Liatris, all native to North America (except for one in the Bahamas – vacationing, I guess). Liatris spicata is native to our local area and is the most moisture tolerant variety. This makes it well suited for some of our heavier soils and wet winters and springs (although they do not like standing water in winter). While they like moisture, they are still fairly drought tolerant.
Liatris prefers full sun but can tolerate a little shade. In very fertile soils the flower spikes will grow very tall and may need staking.
Liatris forms corms at the base, so it can be planted as potted plants or as bulbs purchased in the fall. They can also be grown from seed but require cold stratification to germinate and will not flower until their second year.
Liatris are generally free of insect pests but can suffer from some fungal diseases if crowded or stressed. Provide good sunlight and air circulation to prevent disease. Liatris is considered deer resistant. It can be nibbled by rabbits, and voles sometimes eat the corms over winter, but it is a strong grower and usually overcomes these setbacks.
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