Family
Asteraceae
Botanical Name
Liatris ligulistylis
Plant Common Name
Rocky Mountain Blazing Star
Special Notice
This entry has yet to be reviewed and approved by L2G editors.
General Description
The tall, purple spires of blazing stars are displayed when summer is at its peak. These lovely wildflowers are members of the genus Liatris, which contains about 37 species of herbaceous perennials found in grasslands and lightly wooded areas throughout North America, Mexico and the West Indies. Widely cultivated, blazing stars add bright color and vertical appeal to perennial gardens and wildflower meadows. They are highly attractive to butterflies, and also make excellent, long-lasting cut flowers.
Blazing stars grow from underground storage structures which may be corms, rhizomes or elongated root crowns, depending upon the species. The plants form basal rosettes of linear to broadly lance-shaped foliage which is also borne alternately on the upright, single or branched stems that rise from the ground. The smooth-edged leaves are usually dotted with small glands. Button-like flower clusters are borne in showy, elongated spikes at the ends of the stems, and are often fluffy, stringy or fuzzy in appearance. Unlike many members of the daisy family, Liatris flower clusters are composed solely of disk flowers with threadlike, tubular petals that give them a somewhat star-like appearance. Opening from the top down, the flowers appear in shades of purple, pink and white, and are pollinated by butterflies and other insects. The fruits that follow resemble small, narrow sunflower seeds, and have barbs, plumes or bristles which cling to animal fur or clothing to facilitate dispersal.
Many Liatris species and cultivars are popular for garden use. Among these are prairie gayfeather, or button snakeroot (Liatris pycnostachya), a tall species native to the eastern United States that displays dense, bright purple flower spikes from midsummer to early fall. Small-flowered blazing star ( Liatris microcephala) hails from the southeastern United States, and bears shorter spikes of rosy-violet flowers. Dense gayfeather (Liatris spicata), native to eastern North America, has yielded several cultivars commonly used in the commercial cut flower industry.
Specific hardiness and culture varies somewhat, but most Liatris are easy to grow, preferring full to part sun and average to dry, sandy or loamy, well-drained soils. Many are drought-tolerant, although dense gayfeather (Liatris spicata) prefers moist to occasionally wet locations. Many blazing stars eventually form spreading clumps, and can be propagated by digging and dividing the corms in spring.
