PerennialsLiatris spicata
Blazing Star
Blazing Star is an elegant perennial with striking purple flower spikes that bloom from top to bottom. The stiff, vertical stems appear in July and August and provide a wonderful contrast with rounder garden plants. Butterflies and bees adore the nectar-rich flowers.
Characteristics
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Medium
- Height
- 60–100 cm
- Spread
- 30–45 cm
- Hardiness zone
- 3–8
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Evergreen
- No
- Flower colors
- purple
- Wildlife value
- bees, butterflies, birds
Bloom period
Care guide
Plant in full sun in moist but well-drained soil. The plant tolerates short dry spells but performs best with regular watering. Avoid winter waterlogging around the corms. An annual compost dressing in spring promotes flowering.
Pruning tips
Leave seed heads standing after flowering for birds. Only cut old stems back to ground level in early spring. Divide the corms every three to four years to keep flowering vigorous.
Good companions
PerennialsEchinacea purpurea
Purple Coneflower
Purple Coneflower is a sturdy perennial with distinctive pink-purple petals surrounding an orange-brown cone. The flowers appear from July to September and are a magnet for butterflies and bees. In autumn and winter, the seed heads attract goldfinches and other seed-eating birds.
PerennialsRudbeckia fulgida
Black-eyed Susan
Black-eyed Susan blooms from July through October with radiant golden-yellow petals surrounding a dark brown center. The plant is virtually indestructible, spreads gradually, and suits large borders and prairie-style gardens. After flowering, the seed heads provide food for birds.
PerennialsCoreopsis grandiflora
Tickseed
Tickseed is a cheerful perennial that floods the garden with bright yellow daisy-like flowers from June to September. The plant grows compactly and is particularly suited to dry, sunny borders. Butterflies and bees happily visit the blooms.