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Blazing Stars (liatris) Attract Bees and Butterflies

7/30/2022

2 Comments

 
Picture
I planted blazing stars (liatris) in my perennial bed last year. I had never grown them before and wasn't sure what to expect. Last year they produced a few small blooms. This year they really put on a show.

I love the splash of purple in the flowerbed, but the real delight is that blazing stars are magnets for bees and butterflies. 
Monarch butterfly on blazing stars.
Monarch butterfly on blazing stars.
This monarch has been hanging in the flowerbed fluttering from one blazing star to another. 
Picture
Bees of all shapes and sizes have also taken up residence on my  blazing stars.
If you are looking for perennials that attract bees and butterflies, blazing stars, also known as gayfeather, are a great choice. These perennial bulbs (corms) don't take a lot of care and can be planted in the spring. The first year's blooms aren't spectacular (although they are attractive) but you will be amazed by what they will do in coming years.

About Blazing Stars

Blazing stars prefer full sun and thrive in poor soil as long as it drains well. They are drought tolerant and deer resistant. Plant blazing stars in clusters of 5 or 7 to create a showy splash in your perennial bed.

Avoid planting blazing stars in areas where the soil remains wet in the winter as cold, soggy soil leads to rotting of the corms.

​Do not overfeed blazing stars, or plant them in soil that is too rich. This will encourage lush foliage with fewer and less showy blooms.

Do blazing stars grow from bulbs?

Technically, blazing stars grow from corms, not bulbs, but many gardeners refer to them as bulbs. Corms are thicked roots that look a lot like a bulb. Corms lack the scaley or fleshy leaves or sections on the outside. The roots and stems grow from the bottom (and top) of the corm, whereas a bulb contains the stem and leaves inside the bulb.

When do you plant blazing stars?

Blazing stars can be planted in the spring while the weather is still cool. This gives them time to develop strong roots before they send up shoots.

If you have existing blazing stars in your garden and you want to move them, do so in late fall once the foliage has died back or in the early spring.

When do blazing stars bloom?

Newly planted blazing stars will bloom in 70 to 90 days. The first year's blooms may be small, but they will increase in size with the coming years. It typically takes 3 years for blazing stars to reach their full glory.

​Established blazing stars bloom in midsummer.
2 Comments
Meliss Swanson
8/7/2022 04:01:46 pm

Though lovely, liatris is very invasive and has been banned from garden nursery sales in some states like Connecticut. Unfortunately it tends to overtake marshlands and shores and chokes out lesser competitive native plants. I've noticed it spreading across Maine with abandon. I hope it doesn't cause destruction in our lovely state as it has elsewhere.

Reply
Nannette S Richford link
12/20/2022 02:25:09 pm

I believe you are referring to Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria). Although it looks similiar, Blazing Star (liatris spp.) is non-invasive and is safe to plant in your garden, says the University of New Hampshire Extension. (https://extension.unh.edu/blog/2018/08/invasive-spotlight-purple-loosestrife). They do spread slowly, but are easy to maintain.

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  • Home
  • Garden Thyme Blog
  • Themes
    • Butterfly Gardens
    • Moon Gardens
    • Sensory Gardens
    • All About Fairies
  • Flowers
    • Annual Flowers >
      • Alyssum
      • Cosmos
      • Geraniums
      • Marigolds
      • Morning Glories
      • Nasturtiums
      • Petunias >
        • Reviving Petunias
      • Snapdragons
      • Sunflowers
      • Sweet Peas
      • Zinnias
    • Perennial Flowers >
      • Golden Glow (Rudbeckia laciniata ‘Hortensia’)
      • Lupines
      • Purple Coneflower (Echinacea Purpurea)
    • Maine Wildflowers
  • Veggies
    • Warm Season Vegetables >
      • About Beans >
        • Growing Beans
        • Growing Pole Beans
        • How to Make a Teepee Trellis
      • About Corn >
        • Growing Corn
        • What is Baby Corn, anyway?
        • Can you grow corn in containers?
      • Cucumbers >
        • Grow a cucumber in a bottle
        • Growing Pickling Cucumbers
        • Growing cucamelons (Mexican Gherkin)
        • Why do cucumbers blossom but fail to set fruit?
        • Trellising Cucumbers
        • Making Cucumber Relish
        • Powdery Mildew on Cucumbers
      • Melons
      • Peppers >
        • Growing Peppers
      • Squash >
        • Growing Zucchini
        • Spaghetti Squash
      • Tomatoes >
        • How to Harden Off Tomato Plants
        • How (and when) to Prune Tomatoes
        • Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt) for Tomatoes
        • Blossom End Rot in Tomatoes
        • Growing Cherry Tomatoes in Hanging Baskets
        • 4 Best Tomatoes for Short Seasons - Early Tomatoes
        • 5 Early Maturing Tomatoes for Short Season Gardening
        • How to Ripen Green Tomatoes
        • How to Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes at Home
        • How to Grow a Pomato Plant
    • Cool Season Vegetables >
      • Cole Crops
      • Greens >
        • How to Grow Spinach
        • How to Grow Malabar Spinach
        • How to Grow Swiss Chard
        • Harvesting and Cooking Beet Greens
        • How to Grow Microgreens
      • Onions & Garlic >
        • How to Grow Garlic
        • How to Grow Onions
      • Peas >
        • Growing Garden (shelling) Peas
        • Growing Sugar Snap Peas
      • Potatoes >
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Containers
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Hay Bales
      • Root Crops >
        • Growing Beets
        • How to Grow Carrots
        • Turnips vs Rutabagas
  • Herbs
    • Growing Basil
    • Growing Chives
    • Growing Lavender
    • Herbal Tea Garden
    • How to Grow a Culinary Herb Garden
    • How to Grow Herbs in Sponges
    • Colonial Herb Garden - Classroom Project
    • Herbed Butter
    • Making Herbed Oils
  • Gardening Basics
    • Seed Starting Basics
    • Grafting Basics
    • Soil >
      • Starting a New Garden
      • How to Prepare Soil
      • How to Test Soil Drainage
      • What Type of Soil Do You Have
      • Soil Mix Recipe for Containers
      • How to Make Compost Tea
      • How to Use Mulch
  • Garden Pests
    • How to Control Japanese Beetles
    • How to Control Blister Beetles
    • How to Get Rid of Colorado Potato Beetles
  • Birds
    • Hummingbirds >
      • DIY Hummingbird Feeders from Recycled Bottles
      • Annuals for Hummingbird Gardens
      • Perennials for Hummingbird Gardens
    • About Birdseed
    • Choosing a Birdfeeder
  • Fiddleheads and Fairies
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • How to Marinate Roasted Vegetables