Gayfeather / Blazing Star (Liatris spicata) seeds

Button snakewort is a herbaceous perennial native to North America, where it is found as a wild flower and medicinal plant in the prairies. It flowers from July until well into the autumn. The flowers are usually a pale violet. Occasionally, however, the flowers are white. These are quite unusual to look at, with many small flower cups arranged around the stem in a bowl shape. The first flowers open at the top. Eventually, all the others will follow, so it can take a few days for all the flowers to open. These are a very good source of nectar for butterflies and other beneficial insects in the garden.

Button snakewort make excellent cut flowers for the vase. It is also very popular as a dry flower. If you want to dry the flowers, cut them when they are all open. The cut stems can then be hung upside down to dry.

The plant quickly forms a branched rhizome. From this root system it sends out new shoots every year and takes up a lot of space. This is probably the reason why it is not offered as a container plant. However, it can be grown in a pot.