{"title":"Liatris","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe genus \u003cem\u003eLiatris\u003c\/em\u003e contains around 37 species of perennial wildflowers native to North America and the West Indies. Liatris is in the daisy family (Asteraceae) although you'd never know it at first glance. The flowers are arranged in clusters called racemes, cymes, or corymbs instead of the more familiar daisy or sunflower (capitulum) form and have no ray florets (just like their close cousin Eupatorium).\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eThe common names, blazing star and gay feather, are descriptive of the flower clusters, especially of the common ornamental plant, \u003cem\u003eLiatris spicata\u003c\/em\u003e, whose flowers look like a comet tail or some sort of purple plumage. Liatris flower clusters are unusual because they open from the top down, instead of from the bottom up as with most plants.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003ch3\u003eUsing Liatris in the Garden\u003c\/h3\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLiatris spicata\u003c\/em\u003e is by far, the most commonly grown species, although it is not the only one worthy of garden use. All liatris species have a loose informal habit that looks great in a meadow or a mixed border. They produce \u003ca title=\"Shop all butterfly attracting plants\" href=\"\/collections\/butterfly-garden-plants-flowers-that-attract-butterflies\"\u003eflowers that attract butterflies\u003c\/a\u003e and also make great cut flowers.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003ch3\u003eTips for Growing Liatris\u003c\/h3\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eCultivation of this native wildflower is easy: full sun and light, well-drained soil. Other than that, liatris is not picky.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"liatris-pycnostachya","title":"Liatris pycnostachya","description":"\u003cp\u003eLiatris pycnostachya is an amazing Central US (Canada south to Texas) prairie native that's one of the most stunning of the blazing star species. In July, the top half of the giant 4' tall stems are lined with clusters of bottle-brush like purple flowers, opening slowly from the bottom to the top. The bottom half of the spikes are clothed with narrow green leaves. This is one of the best blazing stars for making an impact in the perennial border. Prairie blazing star thrives in both moist and temporarily dry soils as long as the drainage is decent. It's equally prized by butterflies, bees, and wild-loving gardeners.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ch3\u003eMaintenance:\u003c\/h3\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eIn re-created prairies, there is no maintenance to perform, but in garden settings, most folks prefer to cut back the flower stalks to the ground after flowering. The timing of when you do this depends if you want more seedlings to appear.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eSince it can reach 3-5' in height, it may also need staking unless you plant it where it has other plants to lean on, which is our suggestion. Good prop plants includes lilies, \u003ca title=\"baptisias\" href=\"https:\/\/www.plantdelights.sbs\/collections\/baptisia-australis-false-indigo\"\u003ebaptisias\u003c\/a\u003e, and deciduous azaleas, to mention but a few.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003ch3\u003eGrowing Conditions:\u003c\/h3\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003ePrairie blazing star prefers well-drained soils, and full sun for at a few hours each day.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003ch3\u003eGarden Value:\u003c\/h3\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eThe stunning show of purple vertical spikes is a great design element in the summer garden.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003ch3\u003eNatural Impacts:\u003c\/h3\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eAll blazing stars draw and array of pollinators in flower. The list includes several types of bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Plant Delights Nursery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":21025574405,"sku":"3798","price":17.6,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1527\/8799\/files\/Liatris-pycnostachya.i-3798.s-68117.r-1_0bae2768-fb1a-46c6-86ec-cfb9e377848a.jpg?v=1791485555"},{"product_id":"liatris-aspera-bastrop","title":"Liatris aspera Bastrop","description":"\u003cp\u003eRough blazing star is one of the shorter species in the genus \u003ca title=\"See more plants from the genus liatris\" href=\"https:\/\/www.plantdelights.sbs\/collections\/liatris\"\u003eliatris\u003c\/a\u003e, topping out for us at 3' tall, when it bursts into flower for us in late June (NC). The zig-zaggy stalks are clothed with wavy green leaves, held at 90 degrees to the stem. The flowers resemble large shaggy purple buttons along the top 2\/3 of the stalk...a wonderful garden specimen in our trials. This incredibly drought-tolerant species is native through most of the central US, from North Dakota south to Texas, where it provides nectar\/food for an array of butterflies and bumblebees. Our offering is seed grown from a Wade Roitsch collection near the southern end of its documented range in Bastrop County, Texas.\u003c\/p\u003e ","brand":"Plant Delights Nursery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39878590791767,"sku":"17254","price":22.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1527\/8799\/files\/Liatris-aspera-Bastrop.i-17254.s-66831.r-1_3c59bed4-34c6-4ca4-9be4-3e1dbe909d2c.jpg?v=1791287744"},{"product_id":"liatris-resinosa-american-voices","title":"Liatris resinosa American Voices","description":"\u003cp\u003eLiatris resinosa is a rarely cultivated blazing star, naturally found from Delaware southwest to Louisiana, where it grows in seeps, bogs, and wet savannas, often with Sarracenias. Although lumped for several decades with Liatris spicata, it has been re-elevated back to species status. The tops of the thin, 20\" tall spikes, which are clothed with needle-thin green leaves, are adorned, starting in mid-summer with light purple flowers held in contrasting dark purple calyces. These small blazing stars really make quite a show when used en masse, not to mention the added color provided by a multitude of visiting butterflies. Our offerings are seed propagated from an original collection at the old Voice of America site in Beaufort County, NC.\u003c\/p\u003e ","brand":"Plant Delights Nursery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40420057088087,"sku":"17647","price":22.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1527\/8799\/files\/Liatris-resinosa-American-Voices.i-17647.s-67418.r-1.jpg?v=1790350368"},{"product_id":"liatris-pilosa-buckhorn-beauty","title":"Liatris pilosa Buckhorn Beauty","description":"\u003cp\u003eLiatris pilosa 'Buckhorn Beauty' is a 2024 Plant Delights\/JLBG introduction of our collection from Buckhorn, NC (Orange County) of a North American native species (PA south to SC). The stalks emerge a lovely maroon, and extend upward to 3' tall. They bloom for us in mid-September with an array of purple flowers, and attract flocks of native bees. We have had great luck with this superb species in our well-drained, dryland rock garden.\u003c\/p\u003e ","brand":"Plant Delights Nursery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41175865065559,"sku":"18100","price":22.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1527\/8799\/files\/Liatris-pilosa-Buckhorn-Beauty.i-18100.s-67754.r-1_13f2d5aa-73a1-43c3-aa52-6b3e9359e170.jpg?v=1791987899"},{"product_id":"liatris-mucronata-purple-hays","title":"Liatris mucronata Purple Hays","description":"\u003cp\u003eLiatris mucronata 'Purple Hays' is a 2025 Plant Delights\/JLBG introduction of the central US (Canada south to Texas) native gayfeather\/blazing star. Our offering is grown from seed we collected in the most southern part of its range in Hays County, Texas, where we found it growing on a steep caliche slope. The 3' tall, unbranched, cinnamon brown stalks, burst forth with bright purple flowers, starting for us in late September, followed closely by a barrage of butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators.\u003c\/p\u003e ","brand":"Plant Delights Nursery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41463537270871,"sku":"17744","price":22.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1527\/8799\/files\/Liatris-mucronata-Purple-Hays.i-17744.s-67939.r-1.jpg?v=1790695032"},{"product_id":"liatris-scariosa-var-nieuwlandii-franklin","title":"Liatris scariosa var nieuwlandii Franklin","description":"\u003cp\u003eLiatris scariosa var. nieuwlandii 'Franklin' has been a star in our garden since we planted our first patch in 2004. This 5' tall giant produces large, well-branched flower heads, each composed of dozens of widely-spaced, shaggy purple button-like flowers. Liatris scariosa var. nieuwlandii is an uncommon prairie native throughout its range, from New York to Arkansas. In addition to being taller and having larger flowers than typical Liatris scariosa, the natural variety nieuwlandii is also more tolerant of open, filtered shade. For us, flowering starts in mid-August and continues into October. Liatris scariosa is a particular favorite of a variety of bees.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e ","brand":"Plant Delights Nursery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44091862843479,"sku":"17649","price":17.6,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1527\/8799\/files\/Liatris-scariosa-var-nieuwlandii-Franklin.i-17649.s-68652.r-1.jpg?v=1792427201"},{"product_id":"liatris-pycnostachya-lavender-glowsticks","title":"Liatris pycnostachya Lavender Glowsticks","description":"\u003cp\u003eOMG...what a blazing star! Liatris pycnostachya 'Lavender Glowsticks' is an incredible new seed strain of prairie blazing star, discovered by plantsman Hans Hansen in Illinois. For us, the wonderfully sturdy stems top out at 6' tall in mid-June...much more rigid than any of the other forms of this species we've grown. Of the 6' height, the bottom 4' is clothed with the narrow, 5\" long leaves, which circle the stems. The top 2' is laden with literally hundreds of purple flowers, and an assortment of pollinators that includes native bees, honey bees, wasps, and painted lady butterflies. Plenty of sun and average to dry soils with decent drainage are perfect.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWatch our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/EmY5nKaydAw?si=W9DXlTffEainPelt\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePlant Spotlight\u003c\/a\u003e video for more information.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Plant Delights Nursery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44091867988055,"sku":"18781","price":22.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1527\/8799\/files\/Liatris-pycnostachya-Lavender-Glowsticks.i-18781.s-68651.r-1_84422998-228b-4905-b63a-cb52cdffe3e7.jpg?v=1790689024"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1527\/8799\/collections\/Liatris-sp-Georgia-Giant-1900x350_c5ae6236-df5e-4da5-85fd-1b7a514b89a9.jpg?v=1783947455","url":"https:\/\/www.plantdelights.sbs\/collections\/liatris.oembed","provider":"Plant Delights Nursery","version":"1.0","type":"link"}