Plant of the Month: Gayfeather

Plant of The Month: Gayfeather

Scientific Name: Liatris mucronata

Family: Asteraceae

Other common names: Liatris, Blazing Star, Narrow-leaf Gayfeather, Button snakeroot

Type:Perennial herb, sub-shrub

Natural Habitat:Mostly found in much of Texas including theHill Country on limestone ridges open prairies and along roadsides. Can also be found in neighboring Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri

Growth:Height 1-3 feet. Unbranching, stiff, upright to slightly reclining

Deer Resistance:Minimal. New growth in the spring especially needs protection

Wildlife:Butterflies, native bees and hummingbirds

Light Tolerance: Full sun, tolerates slight shade

Flowers:1½ inchreddish-purple flowers on 6-24” stalks. BloomsAugust through December

Fruit:

Leaves: Narrow, widening downward

Water Requirements: Low; heat and drought tolerant

Soil Requirements: Must be well-drained. Having “wet feet” is not good!Soil types include loam, sand, caliche, limestone, alkaline

Planting Instructions:Space plants 1-2feet apart. Dig a hole at least two times wider than, but the same depth as the root ball in the nursery container. Sides of the hole should be irregular, not smooth. Remove plant from container, taking care to support the root ball. Loosen exterior roots gently with your fingers. If the plant is root-bound and cannot be loosened by hand, the outer roots may be cut in several places. Lift the plant by the root ball and place into the hole. Backfill hole, using soil that was dug out. Do not add any soil to the top of the root ball. Gently firm the soil with your hands, but do not tamp it down. Place 1-2 inches of mulch over the bare soil around, but not touching the base of the plant. For corms, plant just under the soil surface and mulch lightly.

Watering Instructions: Water deeply after planting to settle soil around roots then every 7-10 days as needed, during the first growing season. Before watering, check for soil moisture at a depth of an inch or two at the edge of the root ball. Skip a watering after a rainfall of ½ to 1 inch. Maintain this watering schedule until the first fall. Reduce watering during the cool fall and winter months. In a “normal” year, no watering may be necessary during the fall and winter, but during a dry period, monthly watering may be needed. Second Spring and thereafter: Once established, natives will survive with little supplemental irrigation.

Operation NICE! Tip: One of the premier late summer, early fall nectar plants for butterflies, bees and hummers. Good companion plant to Prairie Goldenrod (Solidago nemoralis).Can be found as whole plants, corms and seeds. For seed planting, do so in the fall or early spring, slightly disturbing the soil surface before lightly scattering the seed and making sure of good soil contact. Fall through spring rains will do the rest.Another method is to bury the browned seed stalk in the fall under a ½ inch of soil. Gayfeather makes an excellent cut-flower.

Care Instructions are provided by the Native Plant Society of Texas- Boerne Chapter. Our meetings begin at

7:00 pm on the first Tuesday, September-June at the Cibolo Nature Center Auditorium. Our meetings are free

and open to the public and include social time starting at 6:30 pm. Please visit our website

for other suggested NICE! Plants of the Month.