Quick Characteristics:
| Height: | 60-100 cm (2-3.3 ft) |
| Flower Colors: | purple |
| Flower Season: | mid summer |
| Life form: | corm |
Liatris spicata is a widely cultivated herbaceous hardy perennial, typically available in white and purple. Corms bought in winter will flower in late summer. More information about it can be found here. Although a member of Asteraceae, the flowers are not classic daisies as they have no ray florets. However, comparing photos 5 and 6 with those of the details of a more daisy like flower such as Dahlia reveals that what might appear to be wispy petals are extra large styles. Pictures by David Pilling.
Photo 1 shows corms as bought from a supermarket in early April; the coin is around 1 inch in diameter. Photo 2 confirms the description given at EOL: "The leaves are linear in shape and their margins are smooth (entire). Each leaf has a distinct central vein. Both the upper and lower leaf surfaces are light to medium green and glabrous to sparsely hairy." Photos 3 and 4 show the details of an individual floret. Photos 5 and 6 are of ripening seed.
Seed photo and ripe seed stand.
