Blazing Star
Liatris squarrosa
A compact blazing star for dry, rocky spots. Lavender-purple heads open top-down in midsummer, and monarchs feed as heavily as at a milkweed patch.
Typically 1 pint–1 gal · $9–$30 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Sep 248 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Sep 258 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Sep 268 AM – 2 PM
A compact, dry-tolerant blazing star with architectural flower heads and intense monarch butterfly attraction during the late-summer migration.
Scaly Blazing Star is the compact, dry-land Liatris, shorter and more architectural than the tall prairie species, with lavender-purple flower heads that open from the top down in midsummer. Each head is distinctly scaly with reflexed bracts, giving the plant a rougher, more textural look than the slender Liatris spicata. Monarchs find it immediately and feed on it intensively during their late-summer migration. It thrives in dry, rocky, or sandy conditions where other blazing stars would sulk, making it genuinely useful for challenging sunny spots. Plant it in masses for the best visual and ecological effect: a patch of Liatris squarrosa in bloom is a monarch stop every bit as effective as a milkweed patch. It grows from corms and naturalizes slowly in well-drained soil.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown blazing star propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Dry
- Mature size
- 1–2 ft · 12–18 in wide
- Bloom time
- July–August
- USDA zones
- 4–9
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Native range
- Eastern North America. dry, open woods, rocky glades, and sandy roadsides from Delaware to Kansas south to Florida and Texas
Care notes for blazing star.
Plant in full sun in dry to average, very well-drained soil. Excellent drainage is non-negotiable. the corms will rot in wet conditions. Once established, it is extremely drought tolerant. Leave seed heads for goldfinches in fall and winter. Divide corm clusters every four to five years in spring if flowering declines. No deadheading required. Cut back to the ground in early spring.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside blazing star.
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