The Bright Purple Perennial That You Should Plant In Late Fall

As the days grow shorter and summer comes to an end, you may think that the time for vibrantly colored blooms lighting up your yard is also over. However, while there are different fall-blooming flowers for you to continue to enjoy as cooler weather creeps up, you may also want to take the shoulder season to prepare your garden for the next year. This includes getting ahead of those eye-catching flowers that require autumn sowing and winter chills for beautiful summer blooms.

Blazing star (Liatris spp.) are showstoppers in the garden. With stalks of purple flowers that pollinators love, the many species of blazing star add drama and flair to your backyard, filling it with both life and color. And to top it all off? They're low-maintenance once established, leaving you more time to enjoy their brilliant blooms and less time working to care for them.

However, before you can spend time admiring a colorful bounty, you'll need to give these flowering plants the right growing conditions to thrive. This includes learning the proper care they'll need to get started as well as planting them at the right time. Blazing star need a cold snap before they can germinate, so if you want to enjoy their eye-catching stalks next summer, it's best to plant them in the fall or winter months.

Planting your blazing star early enough to give them a chilly head start is only one factor in cultivating these interesting flowers. You also want to ensure you pick the right spot in your yard for them, both for soil and sunlight purposes. Although there are some 40 species of blazing star, each with their own appearance and needs, overall they can thrive in zones 3 through 9. They also need full sun and well-draining soil that's either neutral or slightly acidic.

If you choose to naturally cold-start these flowering plants, just plant them directly in your garden in late fall or early winter just as it's definitely cooling down. To start them indoors, you'll need to put your seeds through the process of seed stratification in your fridge. You can store them for three or months in the refrigerator prior to planting, and they will sprout as they warm, meaning you can plant in spring instead. When you do plant them, water thoroughly. But you won't need to water them again until they begin to grow, when it gets hot. Once in your garden bed, you can use a DIY soaker hose to simplify maintenance, delivering hydration directly to the base of the plant.

Blazing star can make a great addition to your garden. Along with attracting pollinators like birds and bees, hummingbirds also visit these charming flowers. With their unique stalks and bright colors, blazing star are among some of the best tall flowers to use to frame your birdbath or add depth to other parts of your yard. This plant is also not known to be toxic, which is helpful if you have children or pets frequenting your garden.