I think what I have is Liatris spicata..well I have 'Kobold' but I also have the non-dwarf version. I did plant the white version too, but unfortunately it rotted out in our heavy soil last year with all the rain. That is the one thing I don't like about them; in our heavy clay soil, I have had trouble keeping them healthy with all the rain we've been getting the last 2 years. Our soil is amended, but it just isn't enough. Also, I fertilized them too much last year, and the tall liatris flopped right over. Next year I'll try either skipping the fertilizer for it right away, or I'll give it a dose in spring and then be done with it. My husband calls it "the monster plant" because it really is a strong grower and quite tall and very striking. I think it would make the best statement with 2 or 3 plants planted near each other. The color can be very flourescent. If you get the full sized version, it probably won't grow very tall its first year. Wait until the next year and it'll have a boom.

There are several sites online that sell Little Bluestem seed by the pound. The commercially available seeds are: Aldous (Kansas) Cimmaron (Kansas, Oklahoma) Blaze (Nebraska) Camper (Kansas, Nebraska) I ordered some grass seed from Pase once. You get a very small amount of seed, I mean really small, like 25 seeds or less depending on the variety. The price is low but you really get what you pay for in this case. The B.S. seed sold from Plants of the SW is one that I can talk about since I planted it one year. The plants are very nice and light blue, classic bluestem with a good upright habit. The rule on starting grasses is: The first year they sleep, the second year they creep, the third year they leap. Bluestem seed germinates very easily but they really need warm weather. I'm trying some indoors this winter and the plants frankly look pretty dismal & haven't grown much at all in my sunny room with the south exposure. It gets a bit cold at night but I'm talking only 60 degrees. Its all but a failed experiment, I usually do much better in there with other seeds. I looked up King Ranch Bluestem. I think I've seen that growing on roadsides in waste areas or abandoned farms. The best way to tell if its bluestem at the seedling stage is that the leaves are VERY flat at the base and resemble Iris foliage, they always remind me of tiny iris. wiscons--agastache always dies on me in summer. It looks fine then up and dies. A woman on the Texas forum said the same thing happens to her every time. Maybe its the humidity? I don't know but last year was definitely my very last try since it was the supposedly 'easier' to grow 'more tolerant' cana type.

Liatris/gayfeather do well in my southern New England garden beds. Mine were nursery-grown but have been thriving since I planted them 6+ years ago. Generally, planting during the hottest months causes stress to plants when they're trying to establish root systems. My preference is to plant in spring or fall. If you're compelled to plant now, expect some plant distress as well as some die-off either due to dry conditions or sun stress. One way to reduce stress and allow the plants to establish healthy root systems is to use recyclable plastic containers (I use gallon milk jugs) to hydrate newly planted perennials. I poke a pinhole in a container an inch from the bottom with an ice pick, fill the container with water and set it close to the base of the plant. Water slowly exits the container via the pinhole. Once the water level drops below the pinhole, the water remaining in the container prevents it blowing around when it's windy. Continual water will also help plants establish their root systems. Bare root perennials will likely do okay if planted now (depending on your garden zone) but spring or fall are generally better options for planting perennials.

Yes, I believe those "seeds" are the tiny corms generated from the main bulbs. I really like these and have two different beds with them in them. I agree with the others, they would be happier in the ground rather than the hot, black pot, but you will need to keep them watered. I transferred some of these last year (in the fall) from the corms and they came up beautifully. They are in the middle of this bed and also have a group at the lower left bed. I am trying to get the yellow coreopsis to rebloom as my liatris were still blooming and the coreopsis had stopped this year. This picture is a few years old & they had bloomed at same time.