Gayfeather blazing star
Liatris spicata
Marsh blazing star, in the Asteraceae (daisy or aster) family, is a clump-forming perennial that typically grows 3 to 6 feet tall. It is native to the eastern Merged States and is most often found in moist areas or growing in meadows. In NC it is found in the coastal and Piedmont areas. The tall spikes of flowers bloom from the top down, are showy and attract pollinators. The foliage is grass-like and grows in clumps.
This low-maintenance plant prefers average to moist, well-drained soils that range from acidic to neutral in pH. It grows well in full sun to partial shade and also tolerates summer heat and humidity. This particular species does better in moist soils than some other blazing stars. The plant has corms with shallow fibrous roots and can produce new colonies from its corms, though it most often propagates by seed. Native bees nest in the defunct , hollow stems, so gardeners are encouraged to cut back expired stems to 12 to 24 inches and allow them to remain standing until they disintegrate on their own. Read more about best practices
Plant Gayfeather Seeds: Sow gayfeather seed in cell packs or flats, press into soil and lightly cover. Needs not heavy to germinate. Kept at 70° F., seedlings emerge in 21 to 35 days. Can manage sow into prepared seed beds, in groups of 3 to 4 seeds, spaced 18 in. apart. Thin to the strongest plant.
Grow Gayfeather: Full sun. Best act in moderately fertile soil with regular water. Gayfeather will tolerate drought and poor soil. Plants stand up to heat, humidity, and cold, and are deer resistant. Chop back flower spikes by half to encourage repeat bloom. Late summer flowers can be allowed to mature, will provide winter seed for birds. Gayfeather flowers attract hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. Divide plants every 3 to 4 years in spring or tumble. Use gayfeather in beds, mixed borders, cottage and cutting gardens, or plant with ornamental grasses, echinaceas and rudbeckias to create a beautiful and uncomplicated care, prairie-like garden.
Dig Deeper: Flowers are long-lasting in fresh or dried arrangements. Blooms open from the top of the spike down. Fresh Dense gayfeather or marsh blazing star is an erect, slender perennial reaching a height of ft. The linear, grass-like leaves are clumped toward the base of the plant, but extend up the stem to the showy flower cluster. A tall spike of rayless, rose-purple (sometimes white), closely set flower heads. The purple, tufted flower heads are arranged in a long, dense spike blooming from the top down. The species call describes the elongated inflorescence, with its crowded, stalkless flower heads. The protruding styles give the plant an overall feathery appearance, hence its alternate mention, Dense Gayfeather. Pictured above: A Palamedes swallowtail nectars on Dense gayfeather (Liatris spicata). Photo by Jeff Norcini. Click on terms for botanical definitions. View post as a PDF. Known also as Dense blazing star, Marsh blazing star and Spiked blazing star, Dense gayfeather is an erect herbaceous perennial with striking spikes of purple flowers. It occurs naturally in mesic to wet flatwoods, seepage slopes, bogs, savannas and roadside ditches. It blooms in late summer through descend and is an marvelous attractor of butterflies, bees and other beneficial insects. Dense gayfeather begins as a basalrosette of linear, grasslike leaves. Flower stalks and buds appear in summer. Once all the buds have formed, the blooms open from the uppermost of the flower stalk down. Flowering spikes are slender, elongated (up to 2 feet long) and, as the common designate suggests, dense with flowers. Individual flowers are tubular, rayless and without pedicels. Styles are extended and often slightly twisted. Stems are smooth and unbranched. Stem leaves are straight and alternately arranged. Fruits are tiny, inconspicuous
Brundage, Stephanie Liatris spicata
Liatris spicata (L.) Willd.
Dense Blazing Celebrity, Dense Gayfeather, Dense Liatris, Marsh Blazing Star, Marsh Gayfeather, Marsh Liatris
Asteraceae (Aster Family)
Synonym(s):
USDA Symbol: lisp
USDA Native Status: L48(N), CAN (N)
Plant Characteristics
Duration:Perennial
Habit:Herb
Size Notes: Up to about 6 feet tall.
Leaf: Green
Fruit:Fruit is a cypsela (pl. cypselae). Though technically incorrect, the fruit is