Dense blazing star - environmental conditions, pruning,

Dense blazing star (Liatris spicata) is a perennial herbaceous plant with bulbs, which is part of the Asteraceae family, originating from North America. The plant stands out for its unusual, small, star-like flowers, arranged around a long and straight spiral. The flowers are purple, but there are cultivars with white or pink flowers. It blooms from summer to autumn. The leaves are narrow, simple, arranged on the entire stem. The leaves at the base are longer and give the plant a bushy appearance, and those arranged towards the top are smaller. The plant can be grown directly in the soil, in the garden or in flowerpots and planters.

Dense blazing star – varieties and cultivars

Liatris spicata ‘Alba’: a cultivar with white flowers, which can reach up to 50 cm in height;
Liatris spicata ‘Callilepsis’: it has purple flowers on tall stems. They are ideal for floral arrangements or cut flowers;
Liatris spicata ‘Kobold’: it is a smaller, compact cultivar with dark purple flowers;
Liatris spicata ‘Floristan White’: it has white flowers, which start bloom in July;
Liatris aspera: it can reach a height of up to 100 cm, depending on the area. The flowers are purple, less decorative than the species L. spicata, but it is an ideal plant for dry and poor soils;
Liatris pycnostachya: it blooms later, in the months of August-September. The species can have white, purple or pink flowers, arranged on stems that are up to 150 cm tall.

Environmental conditions

Light. It prefers sunny spaces, light having an important role in the process of growth and flowering.

Temperature. The dense blazing star is a species tolerant to high summer temperatures. In winter, it can tolerate low temperatures, provided that the soil is not wet.

Soil. It grows and develops on almost any type of soil, as long as it provides a good water drainage. The lack of drainage can lead to root rot. The soil can have a neutral pH and a medium level of fertility.

Dense blazing star – Care

Watering. It is watered regularly after planting and in the first year of the vegetative growth period. Mature plants can tolerate drought conditions and dry soil, but not for a long period of time.

It is important that the watering is done at the base of the plant, so that the foliage remains dry.

Fertilizing. If the soil is poor, fertilizers specially formulated for flowering plants can be applied every spring.