Liatris in it's third year.

I planted some Liatris tubers, I think 2010, none bloomed last year but I think they are coming up. Do they bloom after they are established?? I wonder if a little liquid fertilizer would give them a boost??-----------------------------Weedy (As are the Liatris)

Many perennials take a couple years to get going--there's a saying "first year they sleep, second year they creep, third year they leap" which often holds true. I'm not sure which species you have, but the ones I know are US native wildflowers so fertilizer shouldn't be necessary in order for them to bloom (don't know that it would hurt them, but they should bloom without it). I suspect you just need to be patient with them--if this is their 3rd year in the ground hopefully you should see some more from them this year.

I planted Kobold and its been 4 years.They dont get sull sun all day until this year when we removed a tree.
The Liatris has been very slow to make a nice clump.
Be patient.Good advise from me who cant wait to start planting the Bluestone order.Its dark at 5:45.

Pics of mine from last summer. I really enjoy them.

ecrane3 is right many take awhile to get going.

I love liatris too--were I you I would not fertilize since it tends to make them floppy.

And try growing L. Ligulistyls--the monarch butterflies adore them!

My liatris always flops down! It didn't bloom the first full year I had it, but it did bloom last year. I scattered seeds last fall and now I have LOTS of it coming up. I'm growing the native variety, liatris mucronada.

I got a Liatris pycnostachya, the extra tall one, from Lazy S last year which didn't bloom. This year it's back, a bigger clump, so I have hopes. My soil is fertile but well drained, and it's in fairly full sun (late afternoon shade). I've read not to fertilize, they tolerate poor soil, drought, etc. From what you all say, they take years to bloom... Is that right? I had a white one a couple of years ago but it didn't make it through the winter, so I was happy to see this one return.

Pam

With regard to 'taking years to bloom' I have a few thoughts--I buy the nice fat Liatris 'spicata' bulbs/rhysomes from Brent & Becky's or VanEngelens/Scheepers to save $$ on liatris. These particular suppliers seem to have very big L. spicata bulbs that make fine clumps for me (much better bulbs than Home Depots or the local garden center offerings) and bloom first year if started early in a pot/planter inside (here in Ohio, Zone 6) and transplanted to the garden in early May. Now the bulbs are candy for the moles/voles/chipmunks/squirrels so I have to keep that in mind when planting bulbs straight into the garden and the rabbits love the shoots in springtime.

For the Liatris ligulystylus that the Monarchs adore, in the past I have purchased small plants from dogwooderitternet on ebay. This fellow stocks many 'starts' for butterfly nectar and host plants and is a well regarded seller and I see he has 10 Ligulistylus plants available right now at $2.75 each. Now these Ligulistylus plants do take two summers to come into bloom (I would plant the baby Ligulistylus in a protected well drained nursery bed for the first season) but they are well worth it for the butterflies they bring to our garden. I have them in a morning and mid-day sun and very well-drained high spot in the garden.

In the past I have searched in vain for bulbs/rhyzome for L. pycno, aspera, and the other L. but I suppose they must grow solely from seed--so I have purchased a few of them in plant version from local nurseries. (I am too impatient and disorganized to grow them from seed into bloom size.) These purchased plants have never really survived my rodent problem, my wet clayish soil and my 'not overly sunny' garden situations, but I do have lots of Ligulistylus and Spicatas that thrive here.

thanks for posting the liatris info.B%B is having a 50% off sale.

Great info Tabasco. Thank you

I love the liatris against that pretty pink coneflower. Which coneflower variety is that? Such a pretty shade of pink. My two favorite colors anyhow---purple and pink or lavender, whatever you call that shade of purple.

I got my pycno from Lazy S last year. It came in very good condition and grew well. Now if only it blooms this year!

Well thanks people, and it looks like spikes coming up (early for here, but this has been a crazy Spring with record heat but freezes in April) and the echinacea is budding as well and "blanket flower " is blooming as well, so I am happy----for the time being------------------------------------Weedy

Same weather here.Many early bloomers,I wonder what July will look like.

Well all clumps are going to bloom. I wish I had them closer to the echinacea, it turned out a nicer pink as a seedling than the named variety I bought in a pot. Many more coming up around the parent so if I add some more liatris, some asters (Purple Dome??) the area may begin to look the way I want it, though I am beginning to think gardens never turn out like one's daydreams---------------------------------------------------------------Weedy

I hve found that so.On the other hand somwtimes there are great surprises. This is a life truism.When putting the most effort into a plan be open for an outcome thats full of possibiliy=ties.

I have many scattered in our gardens, some in pots too they with handled being in the pots well with our wintery climate.
i did take a photo 2 mornings ago..

My Liatris pycnostachya has put up multiple stalks... As soon as something breaks I'll be sure to post a pic!

Pam

First year growing Leatris. What do you do with the plant after it bloomes away, do you cut it down, or just leav it . Thanks. Etelka

Just remove the spent flower spike, leave the bottom in place.

Thank you Pirl, when I bought the bag of bulbs it was 20 of them. I planted them some in sami-shade, some in ful sun. I think I will dig them up in the fall and rearange them closer to the fence. Hope you are well. Etelka

They form nice large colonies, Etelka, and they are an easy plant to grow. We're fine, just too hot outside.

Does the Liatris spicata have seeds the birds like? Can you leave them to dry like the Echinacea?
I always leave the Echinacea flowers in place after bloom for the Goldfinches.
I really enjoy the show the Goldfinches put on trying to get the seeds.

I had 1 Floristan white Liatris in place for a few years but somehow lost the purple.
I bought 2 Floristan Violett and added them to the garden.
The white is over twice as tall and is not blooming yet while the new plants are already blooming.
Do you think they'll be taller next year?

Well, they are blooming, though I wish I'd planted more now and planted them closer to and among the echinacea which is seeding itself around nicely. They were a mixed bag from Home Depot or somewhere and three are small, about a foot high, and two are taller, almost two feet. We are having a drought and they appear to be growing just fine. On the other side of my weedy path the helenium is blooming, early I think, but, every thing seems to be off time this year. I water what I can but things are drying up badly and no rain predicted.----------------------Weedy