There is nothing quite so spectacular as a meadow of blazing star, their colorful wands punctuating the air like so many exclamation points. Luckily you don’t need a meadow to grow them, and there are species for dry and wet conditions.
Whether you call it blazing star, gayfeather or liatris, this midsummer beauty makes a fun, bold statement no matter where it is — in a meadow, your garden, or a vase.
Liatris is native to North America and a member of the aster family with over fifty species. It blooms in mid to late summer. Most of these are wildflowers of course, most suitable for large gardens and semi-wild meadows. But several have been bred for use in flower gardens.