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Liatris spicata

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Characteristics

Plant type

Herbaceous Perennial

Habit

Tufted

Resilience

Hardiness

old H4 (hardy)

Colour

Flower

Pink and Purple in Autumn and Summer

Foliage

Green in Autumn, Spring and Summer

Size

Ultimate height

0.5-1 metres

Ultimate spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

2-5 years

Preferred common name

button snakewort

Family

Asteraceae

Liatris are herbaceous perennials with narrow, grass-like foliage and erect, bottlebrush-like spikes of flowers which open from the top down

L. spicata is a perennial to 70cm in height, with narrow foliage and purplish-pink flower spikes in late summer and early autumn

Other common names

dense blazing star
Kansas gay feather

Synonym(s)

Liatris calilepis
Liatris callilipes
Liatris spicata callilepis

Suppliers

Suppliers listed in RHS Plant Finder

How to grow

Sunlight

Full sun

Aspect

South-facing

Exposed or Sheltered

Cultivation

Grow in light, moderately fertile soil that is reliably moist but not wet overwinter; full sun is essential

Soil

Moist but well-drained

Acid, Alkaline or Neutral

Clay, Loam, Chalk or Sand

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown in pots in a cold frame in autumn. Propagate by division in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Prairie Planting, Flower borders and beds, Cut Flowers or Wildlife Gardens

How to care

Pruning

Deadhead regularly then cut stems down to the ground in winter

Pests

Generally pest free

Diseases

Generally disease free

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