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Hummingbird Food

Liatris: Attract Bees, Butterflies and Hummingbirds

Liatris is a North American native prairie plant that is known to attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. The plants are easy to care for and they can be used to fill in around the bottom or early-blooming perennials. If you have not heard of this flower before, then maybe you will want to consider planting this plant in your own backyard as another plant that will help attract the hummingbirds to your yard. 
 
Liatris comes in many colors including purple, rose and white. This plant is also known as blazing star and gayfeather. There is plenty to like about this flower. It is easy to start from bulbs, which you can order from a catalog, or it can be grown from seed. This plant is also likely to be found at your local plant nursery. 
 
This plant blooms from midsummer to fall, and it will grow in zones 3-9 of the country. It will grow to be up to five feet tall and 18 inches in width. This plant grows best in the sun, but it will tolerate patricidal shade. Most varieties of this plant prefer well drained soil, but various other varieties will tolerate both dry and damp soil. This plant can be planted during the spring or fall.  
 
This plant is known to be extremely reliable. This plant will bloom again year after year, and many times it will reseed itself. The flowers are often attractive additions to flowers bouquets, because they have a long vase life, nearly two weeks. 
 
It is native to northeastern North America and occurs in mashes, prairies, and meadows. There are more than 30 species of Liatris, with Liatris Spicata being the most common type of this flower.
 
This plant was appreciated by the early settlers and Native Americans for their medicinal qualities. It was used to create diuretics, expectorants and analgesics. It was also used to create balms, powers, teas and tonics that would help stimulate the vascular system, help with backache pain and cure sore throats.
 
Today herbalists use the leaves of this plant in sachets, potpourris and even insect reppellants. They also use it to relieve colic and kidney problems.
 
Liatris is a plant that will attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. It is quite easy to grow and will add a great deal of color to your yard while serving to entice the hummingbirds in your area. Why not add this plant to your yard? 
  
 
 

One reply on “Liatris: Attract Bees, Butterflies and Hummingbirds”

Liatris grows in abundance in my area of central Missouri. We have the blue flowered variety. Incidentally, our hummingbirds generally show up from May through September.

John

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