Liatris
Liatris spicata
Also called Blazing star, Gayfeather and Button snakewort
Garden plant · PerennialsIt opens from the TOP DOWN, which no other spike in a border does — so a liatris that looks half over at the tip is only half out. Deadheading from the top as it goes keeps it presentable for weeks.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Easy
- Water
- Every 8 daysWater the ground — water at the base, in the morning, not over the leaves.
- Light
- Full sun
- Feed
- Every 45 days
- Humidity
- Low
- Hardiness
- Hardy — a cold winter RHS H5, to -15°C
- Size
- 0.8 m tall · 0.35 m across
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Origin
- Eastern North America
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsNothing recorded against it
No animal-poison authority lists this plant either way.
PeopleNot checked yet
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-09-22. Where a source says nothing, we say nothing.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- A clump that was strong last year sends up two thin shoots instead of ten, and the flat corm under it is brown and soft at the edge — winter wet, not cold.Corm rot · disease
- The emerging shoots in April are grazed to a blunt stump while the grassy leaves around them are untouched.Slug damage · pest