Dense Blazing star, Liatris spicata, Wildflowers of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

	Plants of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
	Common Name	Scientific Name	Plant Family	Garden Location	Prime Season
	Dense Blazing Star	Liatris spicata (L.) Willd.	Aster (Asteraceae)	Upland	Late summer to Autumn
Other names and notes	(Spiked Blazing Star). Blazing Stars of the Liatris genus have general characteristics of: Stem leaves narrow and lance shaped, the flower heads appear on a spike. Heads may be composed of 5 to 60 small tubular 5-lobed purple flowers. L. spicata can grow from 2 to 6' in height. The stems are smooth and the linear leaves can be up to 3/4" wide. Individual flower heads are small, only 1/2" wide with 6 to 10 pinkish flowers. The heads are not stalked and like L. pycnostachya, occur in a dense spike. Flower head bracts are rounded but like L. pycnostachya tend to curve backward. L. spicata and L. pycnostachya are difficult to distinguish without close inspection.


L. spicata will begin blooming in late July. Above left: The dense spike of the flower head. Above right: The lack of flower bud stalks and the dense spike is similar to Prairie Blazing Star, L. pycnostachya
Below left: Detail of the flower buds; note the rounded bracts which differs from the similar Prairie Blazing Star, L. pycnostachya where they are pointed. Below right: The narrow, smooth linear leaves, which become finer near the top of the stem.

Notes: This species is not native to Minnesota, but is native to most states eastward. Eloise Butler first recorded planting this species in 1911 with plants obtained from Kelsey's Nursery on the East Coast and she planted more on May 1st 1912 - same source. Martha Crone planted also in 1936 and she listed it on her 1951 Garden Census.

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References: Plant characteristics are generally from sources 15, 16, 30, 31, 33, W2 & W3. Distribution principally from W2 and also 31, 34 and W1. Planting history generally from 1, 4 & 4a. Other sources by specific reference. See Reference List for details.

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