Companion Planting
Do you want to grow blaze away star ( Liatris spp . ) and need some beautiful fellow traveler plants to develop with it ? Blazing star is a prominent aboriginal wildflower that also has some wonderful cultivars . Gardening enthusiast Liessa Bowen will introduce 19 ideal perennial companion plants to grow with your Liatris .
Contents
Liatrisis a genus cover many species and cultivars of blaze out star . These passing showy flora are a welcome gain to the landscape . Their long - flower flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies . If you require to create a pollinator - favorable landscape painting , any variety ofLiatrisand its familiar plants are the perfect prime for the job .
blaze stars areeasy to grow and low-pitched - maintenance . They thrive with 8 + hours of full Lord’s Day and grow best in average - calibre , dry to medium - wet well - drained soil .
When selecting fellow traveler plant life , look for other species that complement each other and share common growing conditions . The plants in this list will all grow well in the same environments favored by blazing star .
If you ’re ready for a fulgurous flowered show , read on tolearn more about an array of colourful companion plants for your blazing star . Even if you do n’t yet have a blaze star , these plants are ideal for growing in wildlife - well-disposed gardens and prairie naturescapes .
Beardtongue
This plant is sometimes called foxglove ( not to be confused with true foxgloves of theDigitalisgenus ) . It blooms in the spring with loose spike of horn - shaped livid peak . The flowers are very attractive to bee , and this plant would bean excellent choice for apollinator - well-disposed garden .
As a companion for a blazing star , the blanched beardtongue flower would be a nice compliment to the purple of the blazing star . Beardtongue will in all likelihood wind up blooming before theLiatris , so they wo n’t altogether overlap .
Beardtongue is aboriginal to the eastern and southeastern United States , growing in mediocre - character , well - drained soil . NeitherLiatrisnor beardtongue support wet , saturate soil conditions . Beardtongue is easy grown from germ or propagated from the division of mature clump . You may also consider thepineleaf beardtongue .
Beebalm
Beebalm , or scarlet bee balm , is a repeated wild flower native to the eastern United States . This plant produces vibrant reddish red heyday each summer . Wild bergamot orange ( Monarda fistulosa)is a similar plant life with wan purple flowers . The tubular flowers uprise in rounded clusters that hummingbird find resistless . Bees and butterfly are also attracted to the flowers .
Beebalm is an easily - grown phallus of the mint crime syndicate and has fragrant leaves . cervid and rabbits generally avoid this plant . Beebalm grows best under full sunlight with medium - moisture , well - drained land .
This plant will naturalize easy and spread by self - seeding and rootstalk . Beebalm isprone to powdery mildew , so every few years , divide larger clusters to asseverate good air circulation through the dense foliage .
Black-Eyed Susan
There are a few different mintage andcommercially available cultivars of black - eyed Susan . Any variety of disastrous - eyed Susan can be a companion for blaze away star plants . Black - eyed Susan is broadly speaking considered a short - lived perennial or biyearly wildflower . They areeasily produce from seed and will readily self - come in the garden , so you will never be without the next generation of these beautiful flowers .
fateful - eyed Susanflowers do in a wide assortment of yellow , bronze , orange , and red . R. hirta , for illustration , has simple , shining yellow heyday with prominent dark centre .
R. hirta ‘ Cherry Brandy ’ is a cultivar with thick red prime , andR. maximais a species native to the southeastern United States with large yellowed petals and an elongated fundamental disk . Black - eyed Susan does best in direct sunshine with wry to medium - moisture , well - drained soil .
Blue Fescue
Blue Festuca elatior is a smallornamental grassthat forms dense clumps of thin down - green blades . It blooms in early summertime , but the efflorescence are not specially showy . depressed fescue is in the main grown for its decorative foliage . Plant several clumps together for a very attractive showing .
As a companion plant for blaze stars , fescue grass can be located in the foreground with the tallerLiatrisin the backcloth .
The fescue is semi - evergreen , staying green throughout the winter in warm climates . This flora may not perform well in the vivid summertime warmth . Blue Festuca elatior is jolly short - lived but can be divided to keep clumps saucy and vibrant .
Butterfly Milkweed
Butterfly milkweed is a “ must ” for everybutterfly garden . Many unlike milkweed species exist , butA. tuberosais a very garden - favorable mintage native to the eastern and southeastern United States . Butterfly milkweed stays comparatively small , typically reaching only about 2 to 2.5 feet improbable . It is very soft to develop from seed , but be patient , as it may take 2 to 3 years from seedling to the first flower .
Butterfly milkweed can bloom anywhere from late natural spring through mid - summertime . plant produce dense flatten clusters of bright yellow - orange flower . butterfly , bee , and other pollinators love the flower .
Milkweeds are the primary legion flora for the monarch butterfly stroke caterpillar , so if you want to draw monarchs and other butterflies to your thou , constitute aseed blend , including silkweed , is a great way to do that !
Common Bluestar
Common bluestar is native to the central United States , grow in meadow and open timberland . It grows good in direct sun but also tolerate fond shade . arise it in average - quality , average - moisture , well - drained soil .
As a companion industrial plant for blazing star , common bluestar would likely bloom earlier in the time of year , immediately followed by blaze star . Grow these two plants as neighbor in your star - themed garden !
Common bluestar make escaped , rounded clusters of pale blue , star - shape flower . The plant ’s foliation form a enceinte , round off clumpreaching 3 feet eminent and about 3 feet broad .
At bloom bloom , plants will put on a very attractive flowered showing , producing many flower bunch across the entire works ranch . Plant leaf turns yellow in the fall , contributing a piece of vividness to the autumn landscape painting .
Coneflower
There are several species ofEchinaceaand a great number ofEchinaceahybrids , most originate from thenative speciesE. purpurea . coneflower make a safe fellow traveler plant life for blaze mavin because they all expand in similar conditions . Give these plants full sun and well - debilitate grunge with ironical to medium moisture .
Coneflowers are often pink or purple , but there are depart shades of these colors , plus clean flowers . They are long - blossom and raise flowers throughout the summer month . The flowers are large and very showy , attracting many butterflies and pollinators .
In the fall , the matured seedheadsattract hungry bird , specially goldfinches . Coneflowers are not generally bothered by cervid , but rabbit often nibble on young plant .
Coreopsis
There are many species ofcoreopsis , both yearly and perennial , and any would make a squeamish increase to the perennial garden when planted alongside blazing star . Most tickweed have pollyannaish single chicken prime , dramatically complimenting the purple spikes of Liatris .
tick-weed flora be given to bloom later in the time of year , from mid to late summer into early tumble . Even without flowers , tickseed has attractive foliage , some fragile and fern - like , others deeply lobed , and some with dim-witted oblong leaves .
Coreopsis does considerably in full sun with dry to medium - moisture , well - drained soil . dirt ball pollinator andbeneficial predatory insectsvisit the bloom .
Rabbits sometimes consume the leaves . Coreopsis mature well from germ ; some varieties can spread rapidly via both ego - seeding and rhizome . Deadheading flowers can aid prevent re - seeding .
False Blue Indigo
assumed aristocratical indigo is a beautiful shrublike perennial wild flower . It is native to the prairies and meadow of the easterly United States . This plant choose full Sunday with dry to medium - moisture , well - drained soil .
False juicy Indigofera tinctoria can be start from seeded player but deal a while to reach flowering maturity date . Mature plants grow a long taproot , making them quitedrought tolerantbut difficult to transfer , so verify you plant your indigo in a localization where it can grow for many years .
A ripe false dispirited indigo works resemble a small , rounded shrub . This plant hasattractive foliage throughout the grow season .
Flowers flower in mid to late spring and attract butterfly and bees . The tall , sheer spikes of pea - like purple flowers are stunning , making this plant a centerpiece of the leap landscape painting . After unfolding , ornamental dark-brown seedpods grade , lasting through the summer .
Great Blue Lobelia
The big and prominent spike of pale violet - blue flowers of the enceinte depressed lobelia would be a standout feature article of a summertime garden that include this plant .
plant alongside the spring - blooming blazing star , this plant descend into flowering just as the blazing star is finish . This help make continuity in the garden , attracting hummingbirdsand pollinators throughout the season .
large blue lobelia uprise best in full sun but suffer light shade , especially in warmer climates . develop it in damp soil with space to form large clumps .
If you are growing lobelia with blaze star , choose a dryer locating for your blaze champion and a wetter location for the lobelia . Because these two plants have different water needs , they belike should n’t be grown as immediate neighbor . Still , they can easy complement each other in a landscape with some variation in soil moisture .
Lavender Hyssop
Also known asanise hyssop , lavender hyssop is an attractive member of the mint family . It has fragrant leaves and isnot bothered by cervid .
The flower have a long blossom period , live on throughout the summer months . great deal of pale majestic flush prepare on small spindle and are very attractive to butterflies and hummingbird .
Grow lavender Hyssopus officinalis in full sun or light shade . stain should be ironical to medium moisture and well drained . Growing alongside blaze virtuoso , this works makes a solid companion .
The fragrant leaves help discourage browning mammals , and the flower will begin blooming just as the blaze star flowers are starting to fade away . Both attract pollinator and would be welcome in any pollinator - well-disposed landscape painting .
New England Aster
The first matter you should know about New England aster is that it can grow big . This bushy recurrent grows both tall and blanket , spreading freely by ground - level rhizomes .
The 2nd thing you should know about New England aster is that it is a spectacularly beautiful plant . From later summer through fall , New England aster flare-up into bloom , becoming almost exclusively covered with bright pinkish or purplish bloom and attract a multitude of late - time of year pollinator .
If you are growing New England aster with blazing star , give each plant plenty of space to arise . Asterswillspread quite chop-chop , and you do n’t require it to shade yourLiatris . Both grow well in full sun and intermediate - timbre , well - drained dirt . This aster is not bothered by deer or lapin and makes a great cut blossom for downfall peak arrangements .
Ornamental Onions
If you ’ve always thought that onions were just for eating , you may be surprised to learn that many ornamental mixture of Allium cepa plants exist .
They typically have thickened , recollective , tubular , or vacuous leaves that sense oniony . Rabbits and deer do n’t care onion odor and wo n’t usually eat them . The blossom are beautiful , globose , and usually bedecked in shades of purple . They blossom in the spring or early summer and attract pollinator .
arise any genus Allium in full Dominicus . These flora must have well - debilitate grease because the bulbscan easily rot in wet environments . While you could grow Allium cepa plants from seminal fluid , they are most easily grown now from a mature bulb which can be purchased or separate from existing colonies . If plants grow tall and blossom stalks founder over , they can be adventure or cage to facilitate them stay upright .
Purple Poppy Mallow
majestic poppy mallowis an easy - to - grow perennial indigen to the central United States . This plant thrives in full Dominicus and would be a beautiful companion for blaze whizz and other magniloquent flowering perennial . acquire it indry to medium - moisture , well - drained territory . royal poppy mallow is gloomy maintenance and will readily self - seed in idealistic conditions .
Purple poppy mallow blooms in late fountain , a similar clock time asLiatrisflowers . These low - growing plant can form beautiful mass as they spread . acquire them along borders where they can sprawl and clothe over the edges . This plant would look great in a rock garden or any perennial wildflower garden .
Pussytoes
Also called field cat’s foot or prairie everlasting flower , these tiny flowers are slightly different from your average showy wildflower . This plant is native to much of easterly and central North America and is a innkeeper plant life for the American Painted Lady butterfly caterpillar .
Plants grow best in full sunlight but will also put up fond shade . Give pussytoes ironical to medium - moisture , well - drain soil .
Antennaria dioica form a dense mat of vegetation , making a greatground cover charge . The basal rosette are comprised of fussy leaves that expect sick silvery unripe . In former to mid - spring , taller heyday stalks emerge , transcend with bleary ashen blossom clump that appeal butterflies and early - season pollinator . Plants are most easily propagated by divide larger colonies .
Rattlesnake Master
Rattlesnake masteris a unique and rather strange plant life . The parting are foresighted and narrow-minded , edged with crisp pricker , and form an good , silvern - green basal rosette . In late give through mid - summertime , tall flowering stalks appear from the centers of ripe rosette .
The flowers are spherical and wan greenish - white , expect more like a spiky orb than a traditional flower . They are showy in their own queer fashion and astonishingly attractive to various pollinators .
Rattlesnake sea captain would be a good companion forLiatrisbecause they look very different from each other yet grow in similar conditions . Be sure to give each plant life plenty of room to grow as they will both naturalize and , over time , will spread into larger and larger clusters .
Rattlesnake master can be grown from seed or diving smaller offset . Mature works are difficult to transplant because they germinate a long taproot , making them highly drought resistant .
Rose Verbena
Rose verbena is a low - growing perennial wild flower that make a near ground get across andnicely congratulate taller works develop nearby . Rose verbena has deep cut geranium - like foliage and slenderly fuzzy leaves and halt . bloom bloom throughout the summertime and draw butterfly . The flowers form cluster of pinkish - purple blossoms that are very splashy and long - lasting .
Rose vervain would wait marvelous in a John Rock garden or along any perennial moulding . Because of its small sizing , it can also be originate in containers orhanging handbasket . Give it a emplacement with full sunlight and low to average - wet well - run out dirt . This industrial plant is native to the southeastern United States in drier sandy filth . Grow it from seed or shank divisions .
Stokes Aster
Stokes aster is aboriginal to the southeastern United States but iscold hardy Frederick North to zona 5 . This is a very sporty perennial and a welcome add-on to a aboriginal plant garden or any perennial landscape .
embed it in full sun with medium - moisture , well - drain ground . Deer and rabbits do n’t typically put out this plant , although they may nibble a morsel .
Stokes aster flower from late spring into former or mid - summer . The peak are bluish - imperial and very showy . you could attempt to encourage a longer blooming period by deadheading drop flowers . Stokes aster is a slightly shorter plant that would reckon very nice growing alongside the marvelous blaze star for some spectacular variety of purple flowers .
Yarrow ‘Pomegranate’
There are many colorful cultivar ofyarrow , and ‘ Punica granatum ’ stands out with its dark Burgundy wine - crimson color . Achillea millefolium set out blooming as blazing star is winding down , so there will in all likelihood be some intersection in bloom times , making a smooth passage from one beautiful garden flower to another . LikeLiatris , yarrows are also attractive to butterfly and other pollinators .
Yarrow thrives in full sun with teetotal to medium - moisture , well - drain soil . Yarrows maturate vigorously and make a great flat coat book binding , blanketing an domain with their frilly , fragile , fern - like leaves .
milfoil are not bothered by deer or rabbits and are alsotolerant of drought and pitiful land calibre . They quickly spread by rhizome and can be divided , as needed , for propagation and to maintain the hope cluster sizing .
Final Thoughts
Blazing wizard are beautiful repeated plant that are desirable for many garden situations . If you already have a sort ofLiatris , are thinking of adding one to your garden , or are just face for some idea , almost any plant in this list would fill up a similar niche .
As you contribute new plants to your landscape , rememberhow well they will grow in your local environmental conditionsand your available space . After that , have fun planning your garden ’s variety of colouring material , sizes , and blooming clock time . Do n’t draw a blank to include a few pollinator plant to enliven up your yard with colored butterfly and hummingbird !
