Liatris spicata Floristan White - Dense Blazing star

Liatris spicata 'Floristan White' is a very beautiful variety of the 'Kansas Feather' with white flowers, taller than the wild species with pink-mauve flowers. Its feathery spike inflorescences have earned this beautiful perennial from the fresh prairies of North America its evocative nickname. Developing from a tuberous root, this liatris forms a beautiful clump of sturdy leafy stems resembling a grass and blooms from mid-summer to autumn, attracting attention with their uniqueness and adding a beautiful vertical touch to flower beds. Lioatris also make an excellent cut flower. To welcome it to the garden, make sure to reserve a sunny spot for it and ensure it is planted in a moist but well-drained soil.

Liatris belongs to the aster family, just like sunflowers and daisies. The most common species in cultivation is Liatris spicata, native to the USA, adapted to wet places and easier to grow in our climates. The 'Floristan' series brings together two cultivars selected from seeds for their greater development: dark purple flowers in 'Floristan Violett' and pure white in 'Floristan White' (Weiss).

Liatris spicata is a herbaceous perennial plant with a root, halfway between a rhizome and a tuber. It grows rapidly and will produce about twenty floral stems after 3 years of cultivation. Its above-ground, deciduous vegetation starts in spring and disappears in winter. From the stump, basal tufts composed of fine linear leaves emerge, measuring up to 40cm (16in) in length. In summer, rigid stems develop, bearing a few shorter leaves, and ending in an inflorescence. Flowering occurs from July to September and is visited by butterflies and bees. It takes the form of upright spikes that can reach over 1m (3ft) in height (on average 90cm (35in)). The numerous small flowers, about 1cm (0.3in) in size, have tubular ligules and bracts arranged in several rows, giving them a very feathery appearance. Liatris flowers open from the top to the base of the spike, lasting for several weeks. The fruit is also decorative: each fluffy fruit is equipped with feathery bristle aigrettes.

This 'Floristan White' Liatris, adorned with large white plumes, is an original, airy and graphic plant for flower beds. For example, pair it with asters (cordifolius and ericoides), Coreopsis, Baptisias, and tall grasses such as Panicetum or Miscanthus, plants that also love the sun. The Kansas feather also has a great effect near water features, with willowherbs, red hot pokers, and other Vernonia species.