Meadow Blazing Star (Liatris ligulistylis)

 

Meadow Blazing Star (Liatris ligulistylis)

Meadow blazing star (Liatris ligulistylis) is a tall, showy prairie perennial, usually two to five feet high on slender, erect stems that may be green to reddish and lightly hairy. Its flower heads are one to about one and a quarter inches wide, each composed of thirty to one hundred pinkish‑purple disc florets. These heads form a loose raceme along the upper stem, giving the plant its feathery, thistle‑like appearance. Leaves are alternate and lance‑shaped, four to eight inches long and up to one and a half inches wide, with sparse white hairs and a smooth texture. Basal leaves are larger and more oblanceolate; upper leaves narrow and become sessile.

Meadow blazing star thrives in full sun and well‑drained soils—especially sandy, loamy, or rocky substrates. It is most common in prairies, meadows, and streambanks across the Midwest. Its nectar‑rich flowers are especially attractive to monarchs during late‑summer migration.

Source‑title list

Flora of North America – Liatris ligulistylis

USDA Plants Database – Liatris ligulistylis

Illinois Wildflowers – Meadow Blazing Star

Minnesota Wildflowers – Meadow Blazing Star

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