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Liatris pycnostachya | Kansas gay feather

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$8.99
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$8.99
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order now for FALL 2025 shipping or pickup

Grown from seed in living soil without the use of pesticides, chemicals, or carbon fuels.


Blazing star are striking North American natives that can be found growing in meadows and moist areas. Tall wands of fluffy flowers call in the pollinators as they rise above the grassy foliage.

Liatris pycnostachya is the tallest blazing star in cultivation. It can reach five feet in height, but most often tops out at four feet. Like all blazing stars, the fluffy magenta-lilac flowers bloom first from the top down. 

Zones: 3 to 9
Family: Asteraceae
Type: Perennial
Height: 24 to 60 in.
Spread: 12 to 24 in.
Exposure: full sun
Soil: average, dry, medium
Bloom Time: July to August
Native Range: central and southeastern United States

Special Characteristics
  • Clay tolerant
  • Pollinator favorite
  • Winter interest
image credits

Олег Са | Oleg SaCC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Eric Hunt, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Liatris pycnostachya (Kansas gay feather) flowers with Monarch butterfly
Liatris pycnostachya (Kansas gay feather) in field

Ordering information

Preorders

You may place your order anytime to reserve plants for fall 2025 shipment. If you place multiple orders, we will combine plants into one box (or as many as needed) and any extra shipping charges will be refunded.

We will resume shipping plants as soon as temperatures cool in our location and yours.

We will check in with you a week before shipping to make sure you receive your plants at a time that is convenient for you.

Shipping

Live plants ship in spring and fall only. Plants may ship dormant, depending on variety and season. Shipping costs are most reasonable when bundling like size plants.

  • 4-inch: 1-6 plants ship for $15.00 / 7-13 plants ship for $18.00 / 14-30 plants ship for $40.00
  • 1-gal: 1-2 plants ship for $18.00 / 3-4 plants ship for $25.00 / 5-6 plants ship for $40.00
  • trees & shrubs: $27.00-$40.00 each, height dependent
  • seeds: $6.75 or free with orders over $15.00

We regret that we cannot ship internationally or to the following states: AK, AZ, CA, CO, FL, HI, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, or WA.

Read more about our shipping policies here.

Nursery pick up

Plants can be collected from the nursery Monday through Sunday from 10am-4pm in Spring, Summer, and Fall. We prefer 24 hour notice to get your order together and will email you when ready for collection.

Plant Sizes

We most commonly use the following pot sizes for perennials:

  • 4-inch pot: 3.5" H x 3.5" W x 3.5" D
  • 2-quart pot: 6" H x 5.25" W x 5.25" D
  • 1-gallon pot: 6.87" H x 8" Dia (this is a true one gallon pot, not the smaller 'trade' one gallon pot used by many nurseries)

Check out our illustrated pot size guide here.

Representative trees & shrubs are photographed in their pots and posted on each plant page.

Sustainability

Sustainability is at the heart of what we do at The Old Dairy. We grow all of our plants outdoors without the use of chemicals, fertilizers, carbon fuels, or peat.

Many of our perennials are grown in the ground and dug upon order (this is especially true for larger sizes). This practice allows us to grow stronger, healthier plants using native soil, and ultimately reduces our impact on the environment.

Our open-pollinated seeds are collected from plants in our mother beds, which have never been treated with chemicals or sprays of any kind.

Read all about our sustainable practices here.

view this plant in our garden

Liatris pycnostachya | Kansas gay feather |

seedling image

Liatris pycnostachya | Kansas gay feather

We are slowly creating a seedling image library to help make weeding easier.