Liatris, Floristan Violet

Floristan Violet Blazing Star delivers vertical drama to the sunny border with dense, upright spikes of vivid violet-purple flowers that open from the tip downward through mid to late summer. As a Great Lakes native, it draws an impressive parade of butterflies, hummingbirds, and birds throughout its bloom season—a living magnet for pollinators that also happens to be one of the finest cut flowers the perennial garden produces. Growing 24 to 36 inches tall with a narrow, tidy footprint of 12 to 18 inches, it fits neatly into the middle of a border where its strong vertical lines contrast beautifully with mounding or spreading companions. Deer, rabbits, insects, and disease all leave it alone, and it grows happily in the challenging root zone of black walnut trees, making it one of the most versatile natives for difficult planting conditions. The seed heads that follow the blooms extend the ornamental season into fall and provide important food for overwintering birds. Mass plant it for a prairie-inspired sweep, or repeat it through the border as a unifying accent that brings structure, color, and wildlife value in one plant.