Marsh Blazing Star (Liatris spicata)
Perennial
Seed Count: approx. 60-70 seeds
Days to Germinate: 60 days of cold, moist stratification. See: Winter Sowing & Stratification
Depth to Sow: 1/4"
Seed Spacing: When seedlings are 2" high, thin to 1' apart
Color: purple
Height: 2'
Bloom Time: July - September
Sun Exposure: Full to partial shade
Soil Moisture: Wet to medium
Soil Type: Moist average soil
Attracts: hummingbirds, song birds, Goldfinches, Monarch butterfly, Tiger Swallowtail butterfly, Clouded Sulfur butterfly, Orange Sulphur butterfly, Grey Hairstreak butterfly, Admiral butterfly, Wood Nymph butterfly, Painted lady butterfly, Red Admiral butterfly, honeybees, bumblebees, digger biees, long-horned bees, and leaf-cutting bees.
Natural Habitat: Moist, sandy areas, open woodlands, prairies, edge of marshes
Drought Tolerance: High once established
Deer Resistance: High
Larval Host: Glorius Flower moth, Wavy-lined Emerald moth, Blazing Star Borer moth.
Native Zone: AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, VA, WI, WV
Pure Live Seed (PLS) Viability Value: 77.41%
Description:
The most moisture-tolerant of Liatris species, this Blazing Star does equally well in sunny, well-drained garden sites. For about three weeks in mid- to late summer, it sports purple wands of stemless, crowded flowers, facing all directions and blossoming from the top of the stem down. Dense Blazing Star is its other common name. The alternating leaves of the plant are grass-like, up to 10” long and dense at the base, becoming smaller as they ascend the stem.
Info from www.prairiemoon.com