Just like any other variety of Liatris spicata, the ‘Kobold’ blazing star has its own unique properties and visual appearance. They are widely recognized for their vibrant purple colors that spread and grow 18″ to 30″ in height.
You are going to have the opportunity to learn all about this unique variety of the blazing star, starting with its maintenance requirements and how it compares to other varieties of Liatris.
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Liatris Kobold
Liatris Kobold is the more compact species of Liatris and has a very specific set of requirements for its initial maintenance. This includes natural regions like meadows and prairies that provide exposure to tons of sunlight. When Liatris kobold has the opportunity to grow in the right conditions, it can grow to be up to two feet tall and will bloom towards the end of summer.
The pink and purple colors that appear on this perennial plant are excellent choices for your personal wild garden. Not only is it a great personal garden choice, but it’s also extremely tolerant and low-maintenance.
They can survive in a variety of soil compounds and are even tolerant towards shade and droughts. In addition, the ‘Kobold’ blazing star is a great companion to any other variety of Liatris. The ‘Kobold’ variety is a smaller plant, being only around 1 foot wide, instead of 3-5 feed wide like other Liatris varieties. Source.
See our article for Liatris Companion Plants here.
When Does The ‘Kobold’ Blazing Star Bloom?
Liatris spicata ‘Kobold’ varieties are likely to bloom from the early days of summer and into the fall. These are long-bloomers, which means they can bloom for a wider range of time than many other similar plants in the wilderness. Although these blazing stars can genuinely start to bloom as early as May, it’s a little more likely that they’ll start blooming towards the middle portion of the summer.
By providing your Liatris with appropriate maintenance, you can expand the amount of time that your Liatris is likely to bloom. Supplying your plants with the right soil conditions, sunlight, and water requirements will all boost your plant’s potential in terms of growth and long-term survivability. That’s excellent news in general because they are already naturally tolerant towards droughts and other harmful climate conditions as well.
For initial maintenance, you should water this variety of Liatris at least once or twice per week. Your kobold Liatris will use this water to slowly establish itself and create a powerful root system that will stand the test of time. All varieties of Liatris will usually survive with very little manual assistance after they have reached the threshold of self-sustainability.
The Liatris spicata ‘Kobold’ is also a variety that falls into the category of being able to take care of itself in harsh climates. It can maintain its health and survive in severe droughts. With an appropriate amount of time and maintenance, there are very few things that can kill your Liatris plants.
They have a resilient ability to survive in freezing temperatures and long droughts. They are deer resistant and can survive in poor soil conditions and without the appropriate manual maintenance in many cases.
Where Does The ‘Kobold’ Grow Natively?
The Liatris spicata ‘Kobold’ can easily be found across the prairie regions of the North American continent, just like many of the other similar varieties of this unique perennial flower. This variety can be spotted by the naked eye from quite a large distance due to its vibrant color patterns and moderate size in the wilderness.
Regions that have access to full sunlight throughout the day are most likely to spawn the ‘Kobold’ variety of Liatris because of the natural properties that are required for it to grow effectively. Cooler temperatures during certain times of the year will also provide a boost to the overall potential of the ‘Kobold’ in the wilderness.
Liatris Kobold Care
Liatris ‘Kobold’ is a perennial flower that can be grown from either its seeds or corms. Both methods of growth are perfectly acceptable, although the amount of time that it will take can vary depending on which option is used.
See our article for Liatris Corms here.
How do you care for Liatris Kobold? Adequate spacing is a necessity so that your Liatris can grow efficiently. All of the Liatris varieties should always be planted at least three feet apart. It’s also important to remember that planting ‘Kobold’ Liatris with seeds generally takes longer.
When selecting a location to care for your Liatris, you are going to need to target a location that has exposure to full sunlight. These flowers thrive in locations with as much sunlight throughout the day as possible. All varieties of Liatris prefer around six full sunlight per day. Your Liatris can still survive with less, but you might notice that your plant is struggling to thrive with less sunlight exposure.
If you put in the time and effort towards your plants, especially in the early days of growth, your Liatris ‘Kobold’ can live for decades. The blazing stars are considered to be perennial flowers because they come back every year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Liatris can survive poor-quality soils, but they will always do their best in well-drained soils that have a high level of quality. Try selecting a location that has adequate drainage in the soil so that your blazing stars are capable of growing to their full potential.
The ‘Kobold’ variety of Liatris needs to be manually watered about once to twice per week. It’s always good to manually water your Liatris if you believe they may be experiencing the effects of a lengthy drought in your local region. Just be sure not to overwater your plants because that can create additional challenges as well.
Yes, Liatris kobold does spread, however, they are not as large as other Liatris varieties. These perennial plants can get to be 1 foot wide and in the right conditions, such as the prairies where it thrives, it can spread.