By Mary Jo Baur
Right now I have liatris and platycodon in bloom. Platycodon, also known as balloon flower, usually has blue flowers, but my plant has white ones. Mine has been growing in the same spot for more than 25 years. They have a deep taproot, so you cannot really move or divide them. After all these years, I do have a few other platycodons in the garden and I'm not really sure how they spread, probably from seeds. They are quite tall, three to four feet high, and they do need to be staked to look attractive; otherwise they get bent over in rain or wind.
Liatris is more commonly called blazing star or gayfeather. It has tall spikes of purple flowers that open from the top down, which is very unusual among perennials. They are deer-resistant and do not need staking. They last well as a cut flower. Again, I've had mine for quite some time and it has spead into a large clump. But I just read that for bigger flower spikes, you should lift and divide them in early spring every 3-5 years. So I guess I'll have to add that to my to-do list next spring.
Both these perennials are easy to grow in either full sun or light shade. Like most plants, they need well-drained soil. Balloon flowers are one of the last perennials to emerge in the spring, so mark their location to avoid accidently planting over them or digging them up.
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