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Asteraceae
Prairie Blazing Star
Liatris pycnostachya
Blazing determination.
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Genus
- Liatris
- Native to
- United States, Canada
- Bloom season
- Summer
- Type
- perennial
- Height
- 3-5 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- well-drained, clay to loamy
- Water
- low to moderate
- Hardiness
- 3-9
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- Unlike most flower spikes, blazing stars bloom from the top downward, a rare trait called basipetal flowering.
- The corms were eaten by Native Americans and early settlers, earning them the nickname 'gayfeather' for their feathery purple plumes.
- A single spike can attract over 30 species of butterflies and bees in a single afternoon.
- The plant can survive prairie fires because its energy is stored in deep underground corms that resprout quickly after burning.
- Monarch butterflies specifically seek out blazing stars during fall migration as a high-energy nectar source for their journey to Mexico.
Color meanings
0
I will try again
1
persistence
2
gaiety