Native gardening is a great way to maintain the ecosystem at home, supporting your native pollinators as well as other animals and insects. The first step in building a native garden, of course, is to discover what beautiful plants are native to your region and will thrive in your particular space.
If you are gardening in North America, there is a strong chance that there is a species of blazing star native to your region. Let’s check out these pretty purple spiked plants.
What are Blazing Star plants?
Liatris, known as blazing star, is a drought-tolerant native plant with tall flower spikes.
Blazing star, which goes by the botanical name Liatris, is a drought-tolerant plant with tall, eye-grabbing flower spikes. For adding a vertical element to the flower garden, there are few rivals for this pollinator magnet. This native plant has attractive foliage and supplies a great deal of color in the garden during its rather long bloom time.
The fuzzy flower heads are most commonly a rosy purple color, although some types have fluffy white flowers, and are very popular with bees and butterflies for their abundance of nectar and closely clustered blooms.
The fine, grass-like foliage makes this plant blend well with its neighboring plants, adding delicate, linear texture to your beds. Native plants are the most low-maintenance members of the garden, and this plant fits into that category with excellent drought tolerance and low nutrient needs.
Benefits and Range
Liatris is a diverse genus with 32 species across North America.
There are blazing star varieties native to all parts of the United States and most of Canada and Mexico, as well. There are 32 species of liatris, which provide food for a wide array of wildlife.
Pollinators flock to this plant during its long blooming period. Deer, rabbits, and other mammals are attracted to liatris for its tasty stems, and rodents like to munch on the fleshy, underground corms. Monarch butterflies are especially attracted to this member of the Asteraceae family, and birds enjoy the dried seed heads if they are left on the plant after blooming.
Blazing Star is very easy to care for and adds a lot of charm and personality to the garden. Drought tolerant and easygoing about soil type, this is a plant that you can enjoy without bending over backward to maintain. Let’s take a look at some of the more common species you can add to your native garden.
Alba
Creamy white flowers of Alba, a variety of L. spicata, thrive in moist meadows.
| botanical name Liatris spicata Alba | |
 | sun requirements Full sun |
 | height 2’-4’ |
 | hardiness zones 3-8 |
‘Alba’ is a naturally occurring variety of L. spicata with creamy white flowers that are usually found growing in prairies and meadows where moisture is abundant in the soil. It takes its time to establish itself in the garden but is well worth the wait when those tall spires of fluffy white confection begin to bloom.
This variety of blazing star typically grows between two and four feet tall, creating a very nice vertical element in flower beds. In the wild, this type grows up to six feet tall. Well-fertilized ‘Alba’ will be quite top-heavy while in bloom, so be prepared to stake your plants should they decide to lean.
Floristan Violet
This boasts bright purple spikes attracting pollinators with its long blooming season.
 | botanical name Liatris spicata ‘Floristan Violet’ |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun |
| | height 3’-4’ |
| | hardiness zones 3-9 |
‘Floristan Violet’ is another wonderful variety of blazing star. Bright purple flower spikes arise from a low mound of grassy foliage, enticing bees and butterflies to visit your garden. The long, strong stems make this variety an excellent choice for the cutting garden, and an abundance of nectar makes this a must for the native pollinator gardener.
The fluffy flower heads bloom from top to bottom over four weeks atop three to four-foot stems. The grassy foliage changes to a golden bronze color in fall, adding beauty even as their season draws to a close. Seedheads left on the plant provide food for overwintering birds. This variety has very good heat tolerance.
Kobold
A compact magenta variety with lasting blooms, ‘Kobold’ attracts native pollinators.
| | botanical name Liatris spicata ‘Kobold’ |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun |
| | height 18”-30” |
| | hardiness zones 3-9 |
‘Kobold’ is very similar to ‘Floristan Violet’, but the flowers have more of a magenta color and are slightly less purple. This is a compact variety with blooms that last for about three weeks and attract a host of native pollinators. It has similar bronze fall foliage.
This slightly shorter variety makes a great cut flower and dries nicely, as well. Planting these in your native garden feeds the bees and birds and creates a meadow vibe. All liatris are a wonderful addition to the cottage garden as they create vertical lines among shrubbier flowering plants and herbs.
Rocky Mountain
This beautiful plant native to central North America is known for stunning rosy-purple spikes.
| | botanical name Liatris ligulistylis |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun |
| | height 1’-3’ |
| | hardiness zones 3-8 |
Slightly less heat tolerant but no less beautiful, the Rocky Mountain Blazing Star variety is found in central North America, beginning in the Rocky Mountain range and continuing north into Canada. It is a very popular nectar source for the Monarch butterfly population and makes a stunning addition to the pollinator garden.
The large rosy-purple flower spikes bloom from the top down over an extended six-week period. The foliage is fine and grass-like and changes to a deep bronze shade in fall. A lot of moisture during the blooming period can cause these flower spikes to flop over, so they may need staking if they bloom during an especially rainy season.
Texas
A lavender-hued species, Texas blazing star tolerates high pH levels.
| | botanical name Liatris punctata var. mucronata |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun |
| | height 1’-3’ |
| | hardiness zones 6-9 |
Texas Blazing Star is a pretty lavender-hued species that is less cold-tolerant and more drought-tolerant than most other species. The tall flower spikes are coated with fine grassy leaves, creating a lot of garden texture. This type prefers gravely soil that drains very well and is well suited to the rock garden. It tolerates soil that has a higher pH than other species.
Overwatering this species could result in root rot, particularly in winter, while the plant is dormant and uses less water and nutrients. It requires very little care and is tolerant of hot, dry climates. It is also a great nectar source and provides food for migrating birds.
Prairie
Tall prairie blazing star grows up to 5 feet, with rosy-purple blooms that attract pollinators.
| | botanical name Liatris pycnostachya |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun |
| | height 2’-5’ |
| | hardiness zones 3-9 |
Prairie Blazing Star is native to the Central United States and is one of the tallest species of Liatris, growing up to five feet tall. The densely flowered, fuzzy flower spikes bloom in a lovely shade of rosy purple and provide nectar for butterflies and other pollinating insects. The foliage is fine and grassy, creating a nice textural contrast with the bold flower spikes.
This species prefers moist soil and is tolerant of low nutrient content. Heavy soil types can contribute to root rot over the winter months while the plant is dormant. Prairie blazing star is both very cold and heat tolerant and doesn’t mind humid climates.
Rough
A late-blooming plant, rough blazing star is loved by beneficial insects.
| | botanical name Liatris aspera |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun |
| | height 2’-3’ |
| | hardiness zones 3-8 |
Rough Blazing Star is a late bloomer predominantly found throughout the central United States and along the eastern coast. The rose pink, fuzzy flower heads bloom in succession over a three to four-week period in late summer. Long, lanceolate leaves are blue-green in spring and summer and turn bronze in fall.
This species prefers average and moderately dry soil types. It is drought and heat-tolerant but won’t thrive with wet soil in cold seasons. Loved by beneficial insects and resistant to pests, this is an easy plant to care for. The flower spikes can be quite tall and may need staking in rainy weather.
Dotted
This variety prefers well-drained soil for dense pink blooms.
| | botanical name Liatris punctata |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun |
| | height 2’ |
| | hardiness zones 4-9 |
Dotted Blazing Star is a smaller species with better cold tolerance than its Southern cousin from Texas. Not only is it drought tolerant, it truly prefers a drier climate. Too much water causes the stem to grow too long and flop over when the flower blooms.
Those long stems make this a great cut flower. The flower heads are dense and rose pink, blooming from top to bottom. Plant the dotted variety in full sun and well-drained soil. Soil type is not especially pertinent, but drainage is of utmost importance as this plant is more sensitive to overwatering.
Dwarf
A compact, drought-tolerant plant, the dwarf blazing star boasts shorter foliage.
| | botanical name Liatris microcephala |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun |
| | height 1’-2’ |
| | hardiness zones 6-9 |
Also known as Appalachian Blazing Star, this compact variety grows naturally in the Southeastern United States. Tufts of soft, grass-like foliage form low mounds with multiple flower spikes. It is drought tolerant and prefers poor soil types that are dry or well-draining. These do well in a rock garden.
This variety is smaller than other types. The foliage remains close to one foot, and the flower spikes reach up to two feet tall. The flower heads are less dense, with small clusters of pinking-purple flowers interspersed at the top of each stem. The flowers bloom in August for about two to four weeks.
Final Thoughts
Blazing Star is a great plant to add to the native garden. With very little attention, you can enjoy this plant as a stunning vertical element in the flower bed. Added to the prairie garden or wildflower bed, liatris is a hit with pollinators and other valuable members of the local ecosystem. Useful and low-maintenance, this flower is also nice to look at.
