Description
Botanical Name: Liatris savannensis
Common Name: Savanna Blazingstar, Savanna Gayfeather, Liatris
Description: This Liatris is a beautiful native perennial endemic to western peninsular Florida from Tampa south to Charlotte County. It quickly grows to 2 – 5′ tall, including the long flower stems. The flowers are bluish/purple and bloom summer to fall. Butterflies, bees, and other pollinators are very attracted to the flowers. Plant it in your sun or part sun garden area. Likes to grow in a sandy soil that is acidic to neutral pH. Drought tolerant after becoming established. One cool aspect of this plant is the flowers bloom from the top down. For months, their flower stalks grow upwards, but no flowering happens until the last bud at the very top is formed. Then, what was last is now the first to open. Leave the spent flowers on the stalk to produce seed.
Its natural habitat is sandy pinelands, moist sites dominated by slash pine, sabal palmetto, or mixture of the two.
Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray.
This plant in 1-gallon containers is 8-15″ tall.
Plant Lore: Sixteen blazing star species are native to Florida. Liatris savannensis was newly described in 2003 (Kral & Nesom 2003). It was originally believed to be Liatris spicata.
Florida Hardiness Zones 9 – 10
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