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Monday, 23 August 2010

The Star of the Month: Prairie Blazingstar

 
The real peak time for the prairie in Alnarp is now in August. At the moment hundreds and hundreds of Gayfeathers or Prairie Blazingstars (Liatris pycnostachya) color the whole planting area in lilac shades.
 
 
In natural habitats in North America the Prairie Blazingstar normally prefer mesic to moist and even seasonal wet sites although it sometimes can be found also on fairly dry ground. The mature plants can resist drought well, but young seedlings are more vulnerable.

In Alnarp it grows on a fertile but rather dry soil together with Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium), Upland White Aster (Aster ptarmicoides), Ohio Goldenrod (Solidago ohiensis), Smooth Oxeye or False Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides) and some other typical Prairie forbs and of course grasses as Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) and Sideoat Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula).
 
Ohio Goldenrot (Solidago ohiensis)

Browneyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba) and Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

Here the Blazingstars flourish in harmony with Rattlesnake Masters (Eryngium yuccifolium)  

Prairie Blazingstar (Liatris pycnostachya)


Liatris pycnostachya in full bloom
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6 comments:

  1. Diana Studer27 August 2010 at 14:53

    Glad to see new followers. Sisah I recognise too ;>)

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  2. Lars Forslin29 August 2010 at 15:28

    The Liatrises are magnificent!

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  3. Művelt Kert4 September 2010 at 09:18

    What a wonderful show! The photo of the heading is gorgeous. I think, I'll come back from time to time.

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  4. Susie på Stjärnarve...6 September 2010 at 00:41

    Wow! I love it!!

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  5. Peter Gaunitz Landskapsdesign25 September 2010 at 22:00

    Thanks all of you! Yes, more visitors nowadays, but you Diana from South Africa was and are still the first follower. And I do enjoy and read your blog too.

    Lars, you are the most active contributor at my blogs and your blog http://www.perenner.se/ is also well worth a visit. I do so.

    I just went into your English blog for the first time, Müvert. (The other one I can't read so well). Very interesting indeed, but I miss the button to press for followers.

    And Susie, I got very impressed of you beautiful Cornus controvera 'Variegata'. It nearly looks like specimen you can find in Great Britain, but I guess that Gotland has just a perfect climate for slow and lazy shrubs.

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  6. Karin / Southern Meadows20 October 2010 at 18:54

    These are beautiful photographs. They just draw one in and I can imagine sitting on a bench and spending the day enjoying the meadows with all the beautiful blooms.

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