Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Thursday - October 14, 2010
From: Lubbock, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Propagation
Title: Propagation of Liatris elegans in Lubbock TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
I am going to harvest several Liatris Elegans.I want to grow as many as possible out of what I harvest. What will be the best method? I have plenty of land at my home for growing these plants.I will dig them up this weekend and put them in 1-2 gallon pots in their native soil till I know what needs to be done to maximize the number of plants I can grow from 1-2 dozen I intend to harvest.ANSWER:
The Liatris are blooming right now in the Gardens of the Lady Bird Wildflower Center and are beautiful, especially at this time of year when many wildlflowers are dormant. We found an excellent article on propagation of Liatris and it specifically mentioned Liatris elegans (Blazing star). This article, from Gardening-Tips-Perennials.com gives very specific instructions. Of course, you could wait until the seeds ripened on the plant, but this particular author said division was his preference.
We suggest you read this article from Virginia State University Cooperative Extension Propagation by Cuttings, Layering and Division for more complete information. And you still might try some seeds!
From the Image Gallery
More Propagation Questions
Propagation of Mexican buckeye from seeds in San Antonio
October 02, 2009 - I recently collected seeds from a Mexican buckeye. Is it best to plant them now or wait until spring? Do they need to be scarified?
view the full question and answer
Propagation of cardinal flower with variegated leaves from Wakefield RI
August 21, 2013 - I purchased cardinal flower seeds from the Brandywine museum & have had great success for over a decade. Recently I spotted one cardinal flower with variegated leaves. Is this a plant worth propagatin...
view the full question and answer
Propagation of poinsettias
June 09, 2005 - How do I grow poinsettias from seed pods?
view the full question and answer
Transplanting Sideroxylon lanuginosum in Austin
August 12, 2009 - I have a tall (30-40 ft) Sideroxylon lanuginosum in my backyard. Last fall hundreds of saplings popped up in my yard following runners from the tall tree. I would like to keep a few of these sapling...
view the full question and answer
Do Fleming yaupons make pollen
November 09, 2010 - I have been told that all Will Fleming yaupons are male and can serve as effective pollinators for female yaupons (the females I have are Pride of Houston variety). Is this true?
Also, can dwarf yau...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |