Product Field NotesCompanion Plants
Floristan White Blazing Star: Tall White Wands Behind Lavender
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Floristan White blazing star is a white form of our native blazing star. Each clump sends up several dense, bottlebrush-like wands of small, fuzzy, creamy white florets, and like all liatris, they open from the top of the spike downward. At 3 to 4 feet tall, the wands make a strong vertical line in the garden.
It enjoys the same sun and well-drained soil as lavender, and it is a staple of cutting gardens. Bees and butterflies flock to it, and deer seldom do serious damage.
Floristan White at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Liatris spicata 'Floristan White' |
| Flowers | Creamy white bottlebrush spikes, opening top down |
| Bloom | Starts early July, peaks mid-July |
| Size | 36 to 48 inches tall, 16 to 20 inches wide |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 3 to 9 |
| Light | Full sun |
| Wildlife | Excellent for bees and butterflies; moderately deer resistant |
| Cut and dried | Excellent cut flower; dries well |
Height and rhythm with lavender
Blazing star echoes lavender's spiky shape but at a much bigger scale. Planted in groups behind a lavender bed, its white wands rise above the purple and create a layered look, short spikes in front and tall ones behind. White also brightens purple, so the lavender reads deeper.
Both bloom in midsummer and feed the same bees and butterflies, which makes the pairing a strong pollinator planting. Because each clump is only 16 to 20 inches wide, it fits in narrow spaces behind a lavender row without shading it. Plan the back row in the Companion Plant Planner.
Planting bare root corms
Floristan White is offered as a bare root plant, which grows from a corm. Plant it a couple of inches deep in well-drained soil, water once and let spring rain do most of the rest. Being seed-raised, plants can vary slightly in height and bloom timing, which gives a natural look in a drift. See the product page for current availability.
Care through the year
- Soil: average and well-drained. It tolerates poor soil and some drought once settled.
- Winter wet: the main risk. Corms can rot in waterlogged winter soil.
- Pests: voles and rabbits may eat corms and young shoots. Hardware cloth under the planting helps where voles are a problem.
- After bloom: leave spent spikes for seed-eating birds, or cut them back for neatness.
- Fall or spring: cut stems back in late fall, or wait until spring if you left seed heads.
For the cutting garden
Floristan White is rated excellent as a cut flower. Cut when the top third of the spike has opened; the rest will continue to open in the vase. Its straight white stems add clean lines to bouquets and pair well with fresh lavender. It also dries well: hang small bunches upside down in a dark, dry spot.
Frequently asked questions
Why do the flowers open from the top?
That is a quirk of liatris. Unlike most spiked flowers, blazing star opens from the tip down.
Is it native?
Yes. It is a white form of dense blazing star, a native wildflower.
How tall does it get?
Usually 3 to 4 feet, with some natural variation between plants.
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