Blazing Star – Simcoe County Master Gardener

Simcoe County Master Gardeners

Grow Natives!

PLANT PROFILE

COMMON NAME: Dense Blazing Star

BINOMIAL: Liatris spicata

Family	Asteraceae
Cdn Native Range	Ontario
Natural habitat	open woodlands, wetlands, limestone, rocky soil, etc.
Type	herbaceous perennial
Features	a showy flower with vertical puffy spikes of purple and narrow grass-like leaves on a tall stalk; unique top-down flowering
Growth habit	upright, clumping form; expands slowly
Mature height	60 – 120 cm (2 – 4 ft)
Mature spread	30 – 45 cm (12 – 18”)
Life span	long-lived hardy perennial, often lasting 5 to over 20 years
Cdn Hardiness Zone	3 – 7
Growing conditions	full sun/part sun/part shade
Soil conditions	well-draining, moderately fertile
Watering needs	allow soil to dry out between watering; overwatering may cause corms to rot
Fertilizer needs	provide a thin layer of composted soil in the spring if soil is poor; shredded bark or leaf mold conserves moisture and suppresses weeds
Tolerance	drought, once established; deer browsing, rabbit browsing
Maintenance rank	low to average
Maintenance needs	Deadhead blooms above the first set of leaves to encourage a second blooming. Don’t deadhead if you want plants to reseed. Divide plants every 3 to 5 years for longevity.
Bloom	July, August, September
Fruit	small, narrow seed heads that resemble a tiny badminton birdie; dried seed heads remain on the plant until early winter; food source for birds
Pollinator support	top choice for supporting bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies (especially monarchs)
Environmental support	rabbits, woodchuck, and deer eat foliage; voles eat rootstock; finches eat the seeds during fall and winter
Garden Use	prairie-style gardens, pollinators beds and borders, native plant gardens, cottage gardens, dry sunny slopes, container pots, cut flowers
Risks & Cautions	virtually pest free; too much shade or fertilizer results in weak or floppy plants