Liatris also known as Blazing star, Gay feather, Rough gayfeather, Snakeroot, Thickspike gayfeather, Prairie blazing star, Scaly blazing star, Kansas gayfeather are perennials with tuber or corm-like, swollen, flattened stems. Mainly found in prairie or open woodland, on dry, stoney ground in E. and C. North America. The numerous, showy, flowerhead spikes are typically pink to reddish purple or magenta, rarely white and are unusual in that they open from the top down. Liatris generally stays upright and needs no staking. The finely textured foliage stays attractive all summer and turns a rich bronze in the fall. The plants are used by the larvae of several insects including the flower moths which exclusively feed on the plants.
USES: Mixed or herbaceous border, Cutting garden, Bee and butterfly garden, Wildflower gardens, Perennial garden, Mass plantings, Containers
TOLERATES: Poor soil, Light shade, Heat, Humidity, Clay soil
Botanical Name: Liatris spicata ‘Kobold’ syn. ‘Goblin’
Common Name: Dense blazing star, Marsh blazing star, Button snakeroot, Gayfeather, Ährige Prachtscharte
Synonym: L. callilepis
Type: Hairless stemmed Perennial
Flower Color: Abundant, compact, deep purple
Flowering Time: Summer to Autumn
Plant Height: 18 - 24 in. (46 - 61cm)
Plant Width: 18 - 24 in. (46 - 61cm)
Plant Spacing: 18 - 24 in. (46 - 61cm)
Light Requirements: Full sun
Water Requirements: Moist
Soil Requirements: Average / Medium, well drained soil
USDA Zone: 3a-9b
AHS Heat Zone: 9-1
Hardiness Degree: -40°F (-40.0°C)
Sowing Instructions (Cliff Notes Version): Cold stratify for 4-6 weeks or sow seeds in containers in a cold frame in autumn. Start indoors or sow on site in early spring. Seeds are slow to establish. Water regularly during the first season to establish a strong root system. Fertilize before new growth begins in spring. Liable to rot in wet winters in heavy soils.
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