Native Plant: Liatris' spiky elegance stands out

“Liatris spicata.”

Although the name sounds like the daily special at an Italian restaurant, you will find it in a vase, not on your plate. This lovely plant is said to be a symbol of satisfaction, bliss and happiness.

Liatris spicata, a native flower of Eastern North America, graces moist prairies and sedge meadows in the wild.

A member of the Asteraceae family, the species name means “spike bearing” but the origin of the genus name, Liatris, has been lost to antiquity.

Some common names of this graceful native are blazing star, gayfeather and the less-inspiring button snakewort.

In shades of purple, the 6- to 12-inch terminal spikes are festooned with sessile, fluffy flower heads atop rigid, erect, leafy flower stalks arising from a basal tuft of linear blades of green leaves up to 12 inches long.

Uses

For gardens, this tall, clump-forming, upright perennial contributes a plethora of benefits. Although it can reach 6-feet-tall in its native habitat, in cultivation it grows 2 to 4 feet, making it a feature grown en masse, in containers, in rain gardens or as a backdrop.

Because of its unusual habit of flowering from top down, it makes a long-lasting arrangement as you snip off the top flowers as they fade, creating an ever-shortening but fresh arrangement.

In addition to making a lovely addition to gardens, bridal bouquets and cut arrangements, Liatris spicata seeds serve as a food supplement for birds and its nectar attracts pollinators and hummingbirds. They are of special value to native bees and bumblebees.

The larvae of some of the lovely “flower moths” feed on it. Schinia gloriosa and Schinia sanguinea larvae feed exclusively on Liatris spicata.

Medicinal uses include use of the leaves and roots as an antibacterial, astringent, diuretic, expectorant, stimulant and tonic.

Native Americans used the plant as a decoction for backaches, limb pains and heart medicine. The Cheyenne ground the roots for relief of headaches, arthritis, earaches and to treat communicable diseases such as measles.

The small seeds were slow-cooked as a food by the Paiute tribe, and the Montana Indians used the leaves to treat upset stomach and as an antiseptic wash. It is to be noted that, although there are no records of toxicity, the plant contains coumarins which could have an anti-clotting effect on the blood.

Growing requirements

• Hardiness: Zones 3 to 8

• Water: Dry to wet except in winter when it cannot tolerate wet “feet.” Its root structure forms corms which have the ability to soak up water during wet seasons, thus helping it tolerate drought.

• Sun: Full sun to partial shade

• Soil: Average, well-drained soils but will tolerate clay

• Propagation: From seeds; scarified (nicked) seeds can be sown in the fall or stored, stratified (3 months at 40 degrees) and sown in the spring. Another method is to simply lay flowering heads in the bed and cover with one-half-inch of soil in the fall. If planted from the corms, they need 60 days of cold to break dormancy.

• Pests: No serious insect or disease problems. Rodents are fond of the tubers and slugs love the young shoots in spring, so plants might require some protection against these unwelcome intruders. Best of all for many, it is deer tolerant!

Cultivars

• 'Kobold,’ a compact variety

• ‘Callilepsis,’ an excellent choice for cutting

• ‘Floristan Violett,' deep-violet spikes

• ‘Bluebird,’ purplish-blue flowers

• ‘Alba,’ dazzling white flowers

• ‘Snow Queen,’ an abundance of white flowers

Some other species of Liatris include L. aspera, L. scariosa, and L. cylandracea. Sadly, because of an ever-shrinking habitat, the latter is now considered threatened.

Whether providing elegant grace in the garden, an enduring addition to a vase or a swaying spire of the ecosystem in a meadow, Liatris spicata is sure to elicit an “Ahhh” to all who cross her path.

Once a month, the OSU Extension Master Gardener's Office of Franklin County profiles a plant that occurs naturally in central Ohio.