Dense Blazing Star / Liatris spicata
Blazing Star plants are a graceful presence in the garden, slender and vertical, they take up little horizontal space, but command the eye when in bloom. They're attractive to a range of bees and butterflies and pair well with others like Anise Hyssop that have slender flower spikes. Keep in mind that they are slower to mature to flowering plants than many other native North American wildflowers, typically doing so in the third year in our garden.
Seed Planting/Germination Key
Storage: Store in a cool, dry, dark place prior to planting.
Rule of thumb for depth of planting: The maximum depth should generally be half the width of the seed, but many wildflower seeds will germinate well if sown on the surface.
Easy: Generally germinates within 5 to 30 days with no need for cold pretreatment. Keep potting mix or soil consistently moist during the germination period.
Cold(30): Germination rates are higher if cold pretreatment applied either by placing the seed within moist paper towel or sand within a refrigerator for 30 days or outside in late winter.
Cold(60): Germination rates are higher if cold pretreatment applied either by placing the seed within moist paper towel or sand within a refrigerator for 60 days or outside in mid-winter.
Cold(90); Outdoors: Germination rates are higher if cold pretreatment applied either by placing the seed within moist paper towel or sand within a refrigerator for 90 days or outside in late fall or early winter. The best route is to plant these outdoors in either a pot or directly on the soil.
Approximate Seeds Per Packet: 100
Germination: Easy
Lifecycle: Perennial
Sunlight: Full, Part
Soil Moisture: Wet, Moist, Medium
Height: 5
Bloom Period: July-August
Bloom Color: Pink, Purple
USDA Zones: 3-10
Attracts: Bees, Butterflies
Larval Host For: Liatris Flower Moth, Liatris Borer Moth