Liatris scariosa - 9cm pot
(Blazing star). Clumps of green, upright, spear-shaped foliage emerges from bulb-like woody corms in spring. The clumps are slow growing but do increase over time, so start with one or more and by year three you will have a nice sized clump. Spikes of quite large button-shaped purple-magenta flowers appear in summer, the petals being heavily fringed (fimbriated). Ideal for picking as fresh cut flowers, or just admiring in the garden, and they're fragrant too! The flower heads have the unusual characteristic of opening from the top down. They can be grown in containers if need be, and the bees and butterflies will also love them! Hardy perennial that is very drought tolerant once established and can be divided every few years once it has clumped-up. Prefers full sun and good drainage. Flowering size 60-80cm high x 30-40cm wide. 9cm pot. (Photo courtesy of Jelitto, thank you).