This week, I’m showcasing the flower Liatris picata, aka Blazing Star or Gayfeather. It is a native flower to the Eastern United States and blooms beautiful purple. The flower is extremely versatile by being an ideal plant for a rain garden as well as creating habitat for birds, bees and butterflies. It is low maintenance, can tolerate drought and clay soil. Most important for northern New Jersey; it is deer resistant.
photo by Gardenology.org
The Blazing Star can grow as high as 4 feet, and sometimes taller – but I most cases, you’ll have a 24 to 36 inch flower. It does take some time for the plant to establish itself, so starting from seed can take a season or so to see results. If you use a potted Blazing Star, you are most likely to get incredible color in the first year.
The bloom time is from July to August, and sometimes into early September.
You can plant the flower in full sun or where it will get some shade. If you use it within a rain garden, there’s a good chance you’ll never have to water it.
Yearly maintenance such as composting the soil and weeding is typically needed to keep a big patch healthy and happy. It’s a great addition to add curb appeal and be nicer to the environment.
The bloom time is from July to August, and sometimes into early September.
You can plant the flower in full sun or where it will get some shade. If you use it within a rain garden, there’s a good chance you’ll never have to water it.
Yearly maintenance such as composting the soil and weeding is typically needed to keep a big patch healthy and happy. It’s a great addition to add curb appeal and be nicer to the environment.
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