Prairie blazing star is an herbaceous perennial in the Asteraceae (daisy) family. Often grown as an ornamental, prairie blazing star reaches a maximum height of 5 feet but usually 2-4 feet. The purple disc flowers arranged in heads, are crowded on a coarse, hairy, leafy stem and bloom from top to bottom. The bracts below the heads have long pointed purplish tips that distinguish it from other species. The prairie blazing star is native to the central and southeastern United States where it prefers moist to dry, well-drained soils with full sun exposure. It may also be found in damp prairies and tolerates poor soils, drought and heat conditions. It does not tolerate wet winter soils. Grow this plant in full sun in average well-drained moist to occasionally dry soil. Perfect for home gardens in the back of the border or in groups for cottage gardens, rock gardens, naturalized areas and pollinator gardens. The flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies and birds will eat the seeds. More information on Liatris .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Dry
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The basal leaves grow from a corm and are up to 12 inches long and .5 inches wide. They become progressively shorter as they grow alternately up the stem.
Flower color
Pink; Purple/Lavender
Flower form
Head; Spike
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Spike of .5 in. rose-purple to violet-lavender, cylindrical, stalkless flower heads crowded on a coarse, hairy, very leafy stem. The bracts below the heads have long pointed purplish tips. Flower heads consist of many small disc flowers with 5 lobes and 2 long curly styles.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit type
Achene
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Achenes with light brown hairs. Seeds distributed by the wind.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
The stout green stem has numerous small longitudinal ridges and has scattered white hairs.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Central U.S.A
Distribution
AR , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MI , MN , MO , MS , ND , NE , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , SD , TX , WI
Wildlife value
This plant attracts bees, hummingbirds and butterflies. Birds will eat the seeds.