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Meet the Natives: Blazing Star
This week we are highlighting the beautiful blazing star (Liatris spicata), also known as the dense blazing star, dense gayfeather, marsh blazing star, or spiked blazing star.
“If you are looking to add a showy pop of color to your garden and also help support our pollinator species, look no further than this showy wildflower,” said SCCF Native Landscapes & Garden Center Assistant Sophie Carpenter.
Liatris spicata is found throughout Florida and the eastern United States. It is an adaptable plant found in a variety of habitats, including mesic to moist prairies, flatwoods, and along the borders of bogs and marshes. It prefers full sun and moist to moderately dry, well-draining soils.
This perennial wildflower can become dormant in winter, but will re-sprout in the spring.
“Blazing star flowers primarily in the late summer into the fall and produces vibrant spikes of bright purple blooms,” Carpenter said. “Flowers resemble a ‘blazing star’ and begin to bloom at the top of the stalk and then continue downward.”
One of the tallest members of the Liatris genus, this wildflower can get up to 5 feet tall.
Unfortunately, blazing star is not considered salt tolerant, so it is best planted in habitats that don’t receive regular salt spray or inundation.
“Blazing star is an excellent addition to wildlife gardens. Butterflies frequent the nectar-rich blooms alongside of native bees, and hummingbird moths. The seeds are also eaten by a variety of bird species,” Carpenter said.