Summary ²

Liatris pycnostachya (prairie blazing star) is a perennial plant native to the tallgrass prairies of the United States. Liatris pycnostachya is an erect perennial found in tallgrass prairie remnants in the Midwestern and Eastern United States. The plant reaches 1–3 ft (0.3–0.9 m) in height "with numerous ascending linear leaves and magnificent, showy, compact spikes of rose pink blossoms.

Description ³

Family:
Asteraceae (Aster)

Height:
2 to 5 feet

Leaves:
Grass-like leaves are toothless, long, very narrow, and densely packed, becoming smaller as they ascend the stem (lower leaves up to 12” long, upper leaves up to 1” long).

Flower:
Small pink to purple flowers (up to ⅓” across) are densely packed on a spike (6-18” tall) at the top of the stem. Styles emerging from the petals give the star-shaped flowers a stringy appearance.

Bloom time:
July-September

Nicknames:
Tall Blazing Star, Cat-Tail Gayfeather, Thick Spike Gayfeather, Button Snakeroot, Starwort

Habitat:
Prairie Blazing Star prefers full sun, moist to well-drained conditions, and rich, loamy soils, often with some rock or clay content. It is commonly found in wet to moist prairies or meadows, glades, and bluffs.

Wildlife Benefits:
Flowers are attractive to bees and many species of butterflies, including Monarchs, Swallowtails, and Painted Ladies. Foliage is a food source for deer, rabbits, groundhogs, and voles.

Can I plant this in my garden?
This popular garden plant does well in sunny, moist areas with rich, loamy soils, but will tolerate drier, nutrient-poor soils as well. It is visually attractive, and a favorite of Monarchs and many other butterflies. It is an excellent addition to any native, pollinator, or ornamental plantings.

References:
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/prairie-blazing-star
https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/pr_blazingstarx.htm
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/liatris-pycnostachya/

Range ³

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, all rights reserved, uploaded by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District
2. Adapted by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liatris_pycnostachya
3. (c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• eFloras.org
• Flora of North America (beta)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Go Botany
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• OregonFlora.org
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• USDA PLANTS database
• VASCAN by Canadensys
• World Flora Online

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