Scientific Name: Liatris spicata
Common Name: blazing star, liatris
Family Name: Asteraceae
Origin: Canada - central, U.S. - central, U.S. - northeast
Hardiness Zone: Zone 4: (-34 to -29 °C)
Plant Type: Flowering cut plant, Herbaceous perennial
Mature Size: 0.7 - 1.3m x 0.3 - 0.6m (height x width)
Habit: Upright
Form: Oval - vertical
Texture: Medium - fine
Landscape Uses: Attract butterflies, Cut flower or foliage, Perennial border
Exposure: Full sun
Soil or Media: Well-drained
Leaves: Simple, Grass-like, Alternate, Spiraled, Basal, Sessile, Soft flexible, Glabrous, Linear, Entire
Flowers: Head (capitulum), White, Violet, Purple, Pink, Aug-Sep
Fruit: Cypsela (achene + calyx), Brown, Oct
Key ID Features:
Basal leaves linear to narrowly elliptic, most 15-30cm long x 1-2cm wide; stem leaves spirally arranged spirally arranged, linear, sessile, 5-10cm long x 3-5mm wide mid-way up stem; flower heads arranged in a spike, purple, violet or white, opening from top to bottom.