Blazing Stars (Liatris spp.) are perennial plants that have been cultivated in the garden since the dawn of time… or almost. I would like to draw your attention to this plant today, because it has a good chance of lasting and being a big star of tomorrow’s gardens!
With their bottlebrush-shaped flowers, Blazing Stars are easy to recognize. They also have this unique characteristic of flowering from top to bottom. Even though this plant is part of the huge Asteraceae family, the flowers are far from adopting the daisy look. Rather, they sport a variation of the dandelion look! In the end, this gives each flower head the appearance of a small, disheveled, mauve-colored head.
Portrait of the Blazing Stars
In their natural expression, Blazing Stars are exclusively North American plants and their westward distribution stops at the Rocky Mountains. From north to south, there are 42 species, including frequent crossings in this genus. In Canada, we find in Ontario one of the ancestors of most of the cultivars currently marketed, namely the dense blazing star (L. spicata). Ontario is also home to rough blazing star (L. aspera) and slender blazing star (L. cylindracea). As for Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, they are hosts to the dotted blazing star (L. punctata), but also to the meadow blazing star (L. ligulistylis), which is also commercialized.
In their natural habitat, these are plants that grow in open meadows, well exposed to the sun!
In the garden, both natural species and hybrids are grown. In general, the plant reaches between 45 and 120 cm (18-48”) in height and between 45 and 60 cm (18-24”) in width. For flowering, it’s very simple, you have the choice between purple or white flowers.
Liatris can be planted at any time, but spring and fall are the best seasons to do so. They prefer moderately rich, slightly acidic, well-drained soils. That said, and this is one of the great qualities of Liatris , they are very tolerant of a variety of growing conditions. The only thing to avoid is soil that remains soggy when the snow melts. Lack of drainage is a source of progression towards certain death in Liatris.
Being plants from sunny fields, it goes without saying that Liatris should be planted in full sun. Yes, they can get by with a little less sun, but this results in less flowering.
It is sometimes necessary to stake Liatris, especially in the case of tall varieties. That said, this lack of rigidity is often attributable to overfertilization. The plant requires very little fertilizer.
In terms of insects and diseases, they are almost non-existent! In general, if we encounter problems, it will be diseases, such as powdery mildew, leaf spots or wilt and in all cases, the latter manifest themselves when there are drainage and air circulation problems.
You can already see that you’re in a Cadillac when you add Blazing Stars to your garden, but it gets even better…
Extreme Droughts? No Problem!
Blazing Stars have more than once proven their incredible tolerance to long periods without rain. And they flower too! When we think of drought-tolerant plants, we think of small plants with thick foliage, like sedums or houseleeks (Sempervivum spp.). Thus, the long purple spikes of Liatris become very interesting for these gardens which will have to face long periods of heat and drought interspersed with showers.
Encourage Biodiversity! Twice Rather than Once!
Without saying that there is a loss of biodiversity, we can see that we must work to safeguard the diversity of species, the diversity of habitats and the genetic diversity of all living organisms.
In this sense, Liatris are wonderful suppliers of nectar to many pollinating insects and several species of butterflies. It is therefore a fabulous species to ensure the survival of this fairly vital category of insect.
Also, leaving the flower stalk in place after flowering encourages seed production. When conditions are favorable, Liatris can reseed freely. Nothing too invasive, I assure you. But this particularity makes it appear in places that are often satisfactory. And thus, the plant itself ensures its own genetic evolution!
Green Roof? Present!
With its good drought tolerance and its great passion for full sun, Blazing Stars are perfectly suited for green roofs, whether intensive (more than 1 foot (30 cm) of soil thickness) or extensive (less than 6 inches (15 cm) of soil). Add into the equation the ability of certain varieties to reseed and we have an ideal plant for landscaping in a more naturalistic approach.
They go well with Echinacea (Echinacea spp.), rudbeckia (Rudbeckia spp.), autumn sedums (Hylotelephium spectabile).
Flower Meadow? Oh yes!
Being its natural inhabitant, it is obvious that everything that constitutes a flowering meadow or a naturalized meadow is right up the alley of Liatris. In addition to the plants mentioned above for green roofs, let’s add to the list of good companions the goldenrod (Solidago spp.), the large speedwell (Veronicastrum virginicum), Vernonia (Vernonia spp.), perennial sage (Salvia nemorosa), spike speedwell (Veronica spicata), and virtually all ornamental grasses.
And Everywhere Else! Everywhere, Blazing Stars!
On a smaller scale, one might consider Liatris in cottage gardens. Imagine them alongside the little corn poppies (Papaver rhoeas) or delicate pincushion flowers (Scabiosa spp.)!
That said, Liatris also remain excellent allies for more orderly layouts! Its very vertical habit is very interesting in any landscaping.
Few Varieties
Blazing Stars blooms are often mauve and sometimes white, but rarely pink or another color. These are practically the same varieties that have been on the market for ages. One of the very popular varieties is ‘Kobold’ (2 feet high (50 cm)) which is shorter and more compact than the “pure” species (L. spicata) which can reach 3 feet (90 cm) in height. The variety ‘Floristan Violet’ is also large, at 3 feet (90 cm) high, and it also exists in white, under the name ‘Floristan White’. The compact version with white flowers is called ‘White Stripe’ and reaches 1 foot (30 cm) in height.
For those looking for an original shape, the meadow blazing star (L. ligulistylis) grows to 4 feet (120 cm) in height with flowering more spaced out along the spike. This is a very interesting variety to discover and grow further.
In all cases, the spacing between plants is approximately 18 inches (45 cm) and they are all very hardy in zone 3!
So, we are ready to face the future with a plant that has all the capacity to adapt to fluctuations in climatic conditions!
I bought a native variety (Ontario) a few years back and every year they are almost as tall as I am ?
Not sure why there’s a question mark at the end of my comment LOL
The only problem with blazing stars is that the deer love them too!