Gay feather
Marcus, Joseph A.
Liatris punctata var. mucronata
Liatris punctata Hook. var. mucronata (DC.) B.L. Turner
Texas Gayfeather, Texas Blazing Star, Texas Liatris, Cusp Liatris, Cusp Blazing Star, Cusp Gayfeather, Narrow-leaf Blazing Star, Narrow-leaf Gayfeather, Purples
Asteraceae (Aster Family)
Synonym(s): Liatris mucronata
USDA Symbol: LIPUM2
USDA Native Status: L48(N)
This perennial�s stiff, upright, unbranched stems, ft. tall, expand in wide-spreading clumps. The tufted, purple flowers are densely congested in a long spike on the upper part of the stem. The leaves are thin and crowded, becoming progressively smaller upward.
Liatris species entice butterflies.
Plant Characteristics
Duration:PerennialHabit:Herb
Leaf Retention:Deciduous
Size Notes: One to three feet in height.
Fruit:Fruit is a cypsela (pl. cypselae). Though technically incorrect, the fruit is often referred to as an achene.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: Pink , PurpleBloom Time: Aug , Sep , Oct , Nov , Dec
Distribution
USA: AR , KS , MO , OK , TXNati
Liatris spicata
Marsh blazing celebrity, 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 United 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 generate new colonies from its corms, though it most often propagates by seed. Native bees nest in the dead, 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 have. Read more about best practices
Spiky Liatris Spicata &#; Prairie Gay Feather Spices up the Garden
Though I contain been unlucky growing Liatris in my own garden (apparently, young plants are a rare delicacy, voraciously enjoyed by New England woodchucks), I have successfully placed Liatris spicata in many of my client&#;s gardens. It is my go-to plant for a planting intend that needs a minuscule excitement and something to draw the eye up. Its flashy vertical spires (the horticulturalists among us might call them terminal spikes) of deep purple flower heads are an antidote to a mix that needs just that bit of jazz.
Why plant Liatris?
Liatris spicata, commonly recognizable as dense blazing star or gayfeather, is a striking perennial that adds vertical interest and vibrant color to garden landscapes. These North American native plants are well-adapted to a variety of settings, thriving particularly in hardiness zones 3 through 8. Ideal for most temperate regions across the Combined States, Liatris spicata flourishes in prairies and open woodlands, making it a versatile preference for diverse gard
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 collapse and is an outstanding 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 foremost of the flower stalk down. Flowering spikes are slender, elongated (up to 2 feet long) and, as the common specify 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 sequential and alternately arranged. Fruits are tiny, inconspicuous