General Plant Information (Edit)
| Plant Habit: |
Herb/Forb
|
| Life cycle: |
Perennial
|
| Sun Requirements: |
Full Sun
Full Sun to Partial Shade
|
| Water Preferences: |
Wet Mesic
Mesic
|
| Minimum cold hardiness: |
Zone 3 -40 °C (-40 °F) to -37.2 °C (-35)
|
| Maximum recommended zone: |
Zone 9b
|
| Plant Height: |
36 - 60 inches |
| Plant Spread: |
6 - 12 inches |
| Fruiting Time: |
Fall
|
| Flowers: |
Showy
|
| Flower Color: |
Purple
|
| Bloom Size: |
Under 1"
|
| Flower Time: |
Summer
Late summer or early fall
|
| Underground structures: |
Corm
|
| Uses: |
Provides winter interest
Cut Flower
Dried Flower
Will Naturalize
|
| Wildlife Attractant: |
Bees
Butterflies
Hummingbirds
|
| Resistances: |
Humidity tolerant
|
| Propagation: Seeds: |
Stratify seeds: 2 months at 40 degrees
Suitable for wintersowing
Can handle transplanting
|
| Propagation: Other methods: |
Offsets
|
| Pollinators: |
Moths and Butterflies
Flies
Bumblebees
Bees
|
- Prairie Blazing Star
- Thickspike Gayfeather
- Kansas gayfeather
- Cat-tail gayfeather
- Tall Blazing Star
- Cattail Gayfeather
- Button Snakeroot
- Gayfeather
- Blazing Star
Posted by
jmorth (central Illinois) on Nov 23, 2011 2:34 AM concerning plant:
A prairie wildflower in Illinois; also found along RR tracks and fens. Flower heads form long dense spike to 12". Spike can be air-dried for winter applications.
Also known as gayfeather.
Cultured varieties grown for the cut flower market.
Posted by
Cyclaminist (Minneapolis, Minnesota - Zone 5a) on Apr 30, 2016 11:27 PM concerning plant:
Prefers moist soil. I have it planted in a rain garden that sometimes dries out in the summer, and it tends to wilt. Liatris aspera, which is more drought-tolerant, would have been a better choice.
Very similar to Liatris spicata: they are both tall with thick spikes of small flowers. Can be distinguished by the shape of the bracts around the tiny flowerheads. L. pycnostachya has bract tips that curl back; L. spicata has bracts that lie flat.
Plant Events from our members
| MrsBinWY |
On January 2, 2016 |
Seeds sown
WS 16 seeds from kchd |
» Post your own event for this plant
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