Kobold Blazing Star (Liatris spicata 'Kobold')
lee-AT-tris spih-KAY-tah 'Kobold'

Deciduous Perennial in the Asteraceae Family
 
Buy Kobold Blazing Star
Size Notes Price Availability
#1 gallon Field

Best of ... Midwest Overstock

$6.70 Frequently available
#1 gallon Field $10.19 Frequently available

Teaser A shorter variety of Liatris with spikes of dark rosy-lavender flowers.

Known as Dense Blazing Star (new superhero name, anyone?), Liatris spicata starts out each season as an unassuming grass-like mound of foliage… but by late summer, this humble plant sends out stunning spikes of brightly-colored flowers. Liatris can grow up to five feet tall in perfect conditions, so these colorful blooms make quite an impact in the late season garden.

An herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the sunflower and daisy family Asteraceae, it is native to eastern North America where it grows in moist prairies and sedge meadows.

Blazing Stars smell faintly of vanilla once dried and make great cut flowers. These plants are native to the moist edges of marshes and meadows of Illinois, and enjoy well-drained, regularly watered conditions but are highly adaptable about soil quality and heat and humidity. They begin to bloom just as most other plants start to fade for the season, so they’re a smart addition to keep the garden popping all season long.

Pros

  • Attract pollinators
  • Late season blooms
  • Highly adaptable
  • Native to Illinois
  • Make great cut or dried flowers
  • Thrive in full sun to part shade

Cons

  • Need to be divided every few years to promote the most blooms
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 18 - 24 inches tall. 8 - 12 inches wide.
Sun Exposure Partial Shade - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Medium
Zones 3a - 9b (Usually hardy to -40° F)
Tags Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Hummingbirds, Attracts Pollinators, Attracts Wildlife, Container, Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Edging, Formal Garden, Full Sun, Good for Accents, Good for Borders, Good for Butterfly Garden, Good for Cottage Garden, Good for Cut Flowers, Good for Mass Planting, Low Maintenance, Medium, Most Popular, Nativar, Normal Soil, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Perennial, Rabbit Resistant, Showy Flowers, Tolerant of Clay Soil, Tolerant of Moist Soil, Tolerant of Sandy Soil, Well-Drained Soil
Bloom Period July to August
Flower Color Deep Purple
 

More Info from Experts

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Pricing and Availability History

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Limited Availability

We try very hard to source exactly what you’d like, but sometimes growers run out of plants! While this variety is a great deal at the price shown, we know that it has limited availability. If you want the plant even if it might be more expensive, or in a different size or quantity -- after you place your order, just send us a quick note at help@northshoreplantclub.com. Then, we’ll try to get you some version of this from one of our growers. And if we can’t get it from anywhere, of course, we’ll send a refund!


Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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To secure the best prices for club members and make sure we know the current plants available from each nursery, we take orders only a couple of times a month.

Shoot us an email at help@northshoreplantclub.com, and we'll be happy to talk about plants or let you know when it's time to buy them!


No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!