Blazing Star
Liatris squarrosa
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.
We grow a range of sizes and prices. Add the plant to your list, then pick your size when you visit.
Final price confirmed at pickup, depends on size and season.
- Thu, Jul 238 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Jul 248 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Jul 258 AM – 2 PM
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'
- Bloom
- Summer blooms (July–August); attractive seed heads for goldfinches through fall and winter
- USDA zones
- 4–9
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside blazing star.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle 9–12 species that work together. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Butterfly Package
Host and nectar plants chosen to feed monarchs, swallowtails, and fritillaries spring through fall.
Hummingbird Package
Tubular-flowered natives that pull ruby-throats through your yard April through October.
S.O.S. Package
Save Our Songbirds, berry- and seed-bearing natives that feed nesting and migrating birds.