Liatris spikelet - an unpretentious and amazingly beautiful minaret flower
Liatris spicata is an alien from the American prairies. It confidently wins the sympathy of flower growers and increasingly decorates garden plots with its fragrant inflorescences in the form of minarets. He is also called the smooth doctor.
When choosing plants for your garden, you pay attention to its beauty and aroma. I would like the selected specimen to have medicinal properties and not require complex care. Liatris spikelet fully meets these requirements.
Content:
- Appearance of the plant, its distribution area
- Methods of propagation and care of Liatris spikelet
- Areas of use of the plant Liatris spikelet
Appearance of the plant, its distribution area
herbaceous perennial plant with decorative thin leaves and a large erect spike-shaped inflorescence, it belongs to the Asteraceae family. The inflorescences consist of many beautiful tubular flowers. The peduncle grows from 30 to 100 cm, on average 50-80 cm. It begins to bloom from mid-July to the end of August. From a distance, the peduncle resembles a minaret, a candle or a fluffy bottle brush. There are purple, pink, white and even blue inflorescences. It begins to bloom from the top of the peduncle.
The natural distribution area of this species in the wild is the southern regions of North America and Mexico. Found in the Bahamas.The unusual shapes of flowers have interested specialists for cultivation.
Methods of propagation and care of Liatris spikelet
The plant tolerates heat and sun well. We plant liatris in a well-lit area with loose, slightly acidic, fertile soil. We avoid waterlogged areas due to possible rotting of the root system.
How to propagate Liatris?
- The best option is propagation by rhizome. Then the plant will bloom the same year. We dig up large clumps and carefully divide them into several bushes. We bury the rhizomes to a depth of 10 cm at a distance of 25-30 cm.
- In spring, propagation by seeds is possible. We sow the seeds shallowly, 3-4 cm. Flowering will have to wait up to 3 years. Seed germination is good, friendly, thick, but the seeds take a long time to germinate.
In practice, the plant does not require special care. Unless you weed the weeds in the spring and cut off the faded inflorescences at the end of August. If they are not trimmed, self-seeding is possible. In mid-autumn we prepare for winter and completely cut off the above-ground part of the plant.
Mulch with humus 10-15 cm. The plant is winter-hardy, not afraid of frost. Thanks to its ease of cultivation and unpretentiousness in care, Liatris spicata is rapidly winning the hearts of flower growers.
Areas of use of the plant Liatris spikelet
An unpretentious and ornamental plant, liatris is often used:
- in landscape design
- perfumes
- cosmetics
- folk medicine
Liatris spicata is used as lawn and border plant. Tall varieties of plants (50-80 cm) look beautiful on alpine hills. Erect flower stalks directed into the sky beautifully accentuate the stones or lower groups of plants located around them: sedum, echinacea, gypsophila.Low specimens of liatris are used to decorate rockeries.
A rock garden and bright candles of inflorescences create a peaceful landscape for rest and relaxation in the countryside of the house.
Liatris is called the king of scents due to its subtle combination of vanilla and freshly cut hay. The aroma is released by the glycoside coumarin. Its crystals can be seen with the naked eye on the dried leaves of the plant. Natural coumarin, dissolved in alcohol, is widely used in perfumery as a flavor fixative. Famous perfumers use the beneficial properties of liatris in the modern perfume industry.
Based on the dried aerial parts of the plant and its roots, various tinctures, decoctions and ointments are made. Medicines from the plant are used:
- for gargling
- for various colds
- as a diuretic
- for kidney diseases
- for healing wounds and snake bites
- as an antimalarial
- for contraception
- for the prevention and treatment of malaria
- as an antispasmodic
- to regulate blood clotting and blood clot formation
Thanks to your medicinal properties, this plant can replace an entire first aid kit.
Liatris spicata is a perennial ornamental plant that is easy to propagate, does not require special care and can decorate any landscape with its unusual inflorescences in the form of minarets. As a source of coumarin and other compounds, it is used in perfumery, cosmetics and medicine.
What experienced flower growers will tell you about liatris:
Interesting information about the vegetable garden
Comments
A truly unpretentious plant. Liatris has been growing with us for four years now and has grown well. In the first year, the flower stalks were about 70 cm and did not bend, but this season they grew almost 1 m, and over time they bent, which spoiled the appearance.To be honest, there is no special smell from them, although I didn’t sniff them specifically.