A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Liatris tenuifolia
About 4 feet tall, basal rosette with long narrow leaves. Immediately above the rosette, the stem leaves are small and narrow. Stalk is very tall! Lovely lilac-rose flowers bloom on all sides of the stem (unlike Gay Feather L. pauciflora). Buds extend almost 3/4 of the way down the stalk, and bloom from the top downward. A huge favorite with butterflies and insects.
Sandhills. This was in a transition zone between oak/sand pine scrub and Longleaf Pine Sandhill. Ocala National Forest, "Salt Springs Island", Rt. 11, about 2 miles before the junction of 314.
The first Liatris I've seen blooming this year! (It's my favorite, so I get a bit excited....) I was cruising down Rt. 11 looking for Flatwoods, and saw a clump of these. Fortunately nobody was behind me, as I slammed on my brakes and began backing up! :0
No Comments