Blazing Star: Meadow (Liatris ligulistylis)
SKU:
$0.50
$0.50 - $5.60
$0.50
Bursting with brilliant fuchsia stars, this showy perennial wildflower puts on a striking display! Look out for butterflies! Blooming in late summer, Meadow Blazing Star supplies a fine cuisine for the Monarch butterfly. King of the Blazing Stars!
Scientific Name: Liatris ligulistylis
Also Known As: Round-headed Blazing Star, Rocky Mountain Blazing Star, Showy Blazing-Star.
Grown as: Perennial
Maturity (Blooms): Summer
Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
Water: Wet to Medium
Attracts Beneficial Insects?: Yes. The flowers of Meadow Blazing Star attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. It also acts as a forage for birds.
Containers?: Yes.
Height: 36-60”
Spacing: 15-18”
Sow Depth: Press into soil surface
USDA Zone: 3a-10b
Produces: a plant with narrow, grass-like leaves and tall spikes of fluffy, rounded 1" purplish rose hueflowers.
Also Known As: Round-headed Blazing Star, Rocky Mountain Blazing Star, Showy Blazing-Star.
Grown as: Perennial
Maturity (Blooms): Summer
Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
Water: Wet to Medium
Attracts Beneficial Insects?: Yes. The flowers of Meadow Blazing Star attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. It also acts as a forage for birds.
Containers?: Yes.
Height: 36-60”
Spacing: 15-18”
Sow Depth: Press into soil surface
USDA Zone: 3a-10b
Produces: a plant with narrow, grass-like leaves and tall spikes of fluffy, rounded 1" purplish rose hueflowers.
Direct sow seeds in late fall, pressing them into the surface of the soil. For spring planting, mix the seeds with moist sand and store in the refrigerator for 60 days before planting; keep the soil lightly moist until germination, which usually occurs within 3-4 weeks at temperatures of 65-70 degrees F. This seed can also be started indoors 6-8 weeks before planting in the spring.
Young plants will need to be watered as they develop; because of the development of their extensive root systems, blooming usually does not occur until the second year of growth. Mature plants tolerate drought well, though they also flourish in moist soil. After three or four years, the plants may need to be divided for the best growth. This should be done after blooming, when the plant has gone dormant. These plants attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
These blooms make excellent cut flowers. Choose stalks with about one third of the flowers open, and place them in water immediately; strip the foliage that will fall below the surface of the water. For dried flowers, hang the spikes upside down in a dry, warm place for about three weeks.
When the flowers fade, they will eventually develop into a fluffy seed head. Since small birds love to eat the seed, harvest promptly to avoid loss. Cut the stems as soon as the fluff darkens slightly and can be removed. Spread the stalks out to dry away from direct sunlight. When they have completely dried, strip the fluff from the stems and clean it as well as possible. Store the seed in a cool, dry place.
Companion planting is an excellent practice for any skill level of gardener. By using the natural substances contained within a plant’s roots your garden can both repel unwanted insects and attract those with useful traits. Companion planting can also be used to group flowers that prefer similar conditions.
Using companion plants as a border, backdrop, or interplanting in your garden beds will allow you to harness the ecosystem to its full potential. It is best to use plants native to your area so that the insects you seek to attract will know what to look for!
Try pairing Liatris ligulistylis with Andropogon gerardii, Asclepias tuberosa, Aster oblongifolius, Coreopsis tripteris, Monarda x 'Peter's Fancy Fuchsia', Echinacea purpurea or Eryngium yuccifolium.
Using companion plants as a border, backdrop, or interplanting in your garden beds will allow you to harness the ecosystem to its full potential. It is best to use plants native to your area so that the insects you seek to attract will know what to look for!
Try pairing Liatris ligulistylis with Andropogon gerardii, Asclepias tuberosa, Aster oblongifolius, Coreopsis tripteris, Monarda x 'Peter's Fancy Fuchsia', Echinacea purpurea or Eryngium yuccifolium.
suggested varieties
Coneflower: Purple (Echinacea purpurea)
$0.25 - $5.60
All the members of the Echinacea genus are native to North America, though they are becoming more rare in the wild. The genus name Echinacea comes from the Greek word for “hedgehog,” referring to the spiny seed head of the flower. Historically, this family of plants has been extensively used by Native American tribes and early settlers because of its beneficial medicinal properties. Echinacea acts as a natural antibiotic, and improves the function of the immune system; it became very popular in the medical field in the early twentieth century, particularly after the extensive researches of the German Dr. Gerhard Madaus. Echinacea is still widely used as an herbal remedy, as well as being a common and well-loved addition to perennial gardens and prairie plantings.
Milkweed: Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
$0.25 - $5.60
Butterfly Weed, one of the most striking of native plants, lights up the prairies with its blazing orange flowers. It thrives in rocky or sandy soil, typically in open fields or along roadsides. One of its common names, pleurisy root, refers to an old remedy for lung ailments that contained this plant. At one time, the silk from this plant’s seed pods was spun for fabric or used for stuffing pillows; in World War II, school children gathered the silk to provide a cheap filling for soldiers’ life jackets. Commercial attempts to make use of this abundant plant included the manufacture of paper, fabric, lubricant, fuel, and rubber; eventually these became impractical and were abandoned. Though this plant is toxic to most animals, butterflies are immune to the plant’s poison and actually become rather poisonous themselves as protection from predators.