This perennial plant with bottlebrush-like flowers Is a great addition to a native garden.
It is listed as a threatened or endangered species in nine U.S. States.
The upright, tall, bottlebrush-like flower spikes are white or pale green and appear from August through October.
Credit:Marty Baldwin
The foliage turns reddish-yellow in the fall, contrasting beautifully with the flower spikes.
Burnet can also be used to fill in open spaces at the base of taller perennials.
Mass plantings or groupings of American burnet are especially attractive.
In a border, plant it towards the back as it gets quite tall.
Place the plant in the hole and fill in original soil to the top of the root ball.
Gently tamp down the soil and water it well.
Keep it well-watered for the first week weeks until the plant is established.
Space plants 2 to 3 feet apart.
American Burnet Care Tips
Burnet is a care-free and easy-to-grow native plant.
Light
American burnet needs full sun to thrive.
It does not have any humidity preferences.
Fertilizer
Because this is a prairie plant, fertilization is usually not required.
At the most, scatter a layer ofcompostaround the plants in the spring when the growing season starts.
Cut the flower stalks back to the foliage with sharp pruners.
Pests and Problems
The plant does not have any serious pest or disease issues.
How to Propagate American Burnet
Burnet can be propagated from seed or by division.
Divide a mature clump in early spring as soon as the foliage emerges.
Water it well even if grown in moist soil to help the plant overcome the transplant shock.
American burnet can also be propagated from seed.
The seeds need 60 days of cold moiststratification.
Press the seeds into the soil and cover them with a thin layer of soil.
If there is no precipitation, water lightly without washing away the seeds.
The plant grows up to 2 feet tall and wide.
Older leaves are tough and bitter.
Zone 4-8
Sanguisorbia tenufolia var.
From August to September, it sends up deep wine-colored bottlebrush-like flower spikes on 4-foot plants.
The foliage is delicate and fern-like.
It is also known as white Japanese burnet.
Purple coneflower is a popular choice for pollinator gardens, cottage gardens, and meadows.
It also tends to spread by self-seeding.
Not all burnets are edible, the only burnet grown for eating is salad burnet.
It is added to salads in small amounts and used mostly as an herb.
