Liatris

Liatris (Blazing Star, Gayfeather, Kansas Gayfeather) is a widely used perennial with its hardiness range extending far north into zone 3.

Colors available to the gardening public range from:

• pink
• purple
• lavender
• white
• rosy-purple
• violet-purple
• to reddish-purple

There is a place in any full sun perennial bed for this beauty with cultivars ranging in height from fifteen inches to over five feet.

A few popular varieties are available in the form of seed, plants and corms.

I have had the pleasure of viewing this gorgeous native in full bloom on the Great Plains and ever since my first sighting it quickly became one of my many favorites.

Blazing Star, depending on the variety, usually begins flowering during mid to late summer.

This plant is a good choice for you to consider as it will be in bloom when many other perennials have stopped flowering.

All selections produce showy flowers stalks which are loaded with numerous small blossoms.

Native Americans consumed the elongated roots which had a taste and shape similar to that of the carrot.

The foliage and corms (bulbs) were boiled and the resulting extract was used for medicinal purposes.

Also recorded in history is the reported use of the corms being fed to their ponies to increase their speed and endurance.