Often known as gayfeathers or blazing stars, these herbaceous perennials are a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, zinnia, and lettuce. They are native to North America where they grow in well-drained soil in full sun. The plants have strong straight stems that carry narrow leaves and terminate in a spike-like inflorescence of 15-45 purple flowerheads. The flowerheads are composed entirely of disc florets and open from the top to the bottom of the spike. Many species have flowers that are attractive to pollinators including butterflies, and are good in bouquets.
Photo Credit: ark Ryckaert, Wikimedia Commons
The environmental conditions of the Mid-Atlantic have resulted in at least seven native species of Liatris there but they may be native to other places too. The liatris described below are native to at least one of the states in the Mid-Atlantic.
Rough Blazing Star (Liatris aspera)
Rough blazing star is also known as button blazing star, lacerate blazing star, tall prairie blazing star, and tall gayfeather. It is native to New York as well as places in the Southwest, Midwest, and Southeast where it grows in prairies, open woods, glades, meadows and open disturbed areas such as along roads and train tracks. A basal clump of very narrow lance-shaped leaves up to 12″ long give rise to leafy racemes that carry widely spaced purple flowerheads about 3/4″ across and are attractive hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators, as well as being good in the vase. The seeds are enjoyed by songbirds.
Height: 2-3′ (occasionally to 6′)
Bloom Time: Summer to fall
Bloom Color: Purple
Light: Full sun
Soil: Average, dry to medium, well-drained
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-8
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
(Liatris cylindracea)
Also known as cylindrical blazing star, Ontario blazing star, and dwarf blazing star, this herbaceous perennial is native to western New York and Delaware as well as to parts of the Southeast, Midwest and Southwest. The leaves are narrow and up to 10″ long. The spike-like flower stems are up to 2′ tall, and carry fluffy, rose-purple flowers singly or in small clusters. Each flowerhead is subtended by a tight elongated cylinder of sharp-pointed involucral bracts. The flowers appear in mid- to late summer and are attractive to humming birds, butterflies, and other pollinators. The seeds attract song birds.
Height: 1.5-2′
Bloom Time: Mid- to late summer
Bloom Color: Rose-purple
Light: Full sun
Soil: Average, dry to medium moist, well-drained, alkaline
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-7
Photo Credit: Mason Brock, Wikipedia
Heller’s Blazing Star/Gayfeather (Liatris helleri)
This rare wildflower is native to the Appalachian Mountains of Maryland as well as parts of the Southeast where it can be found on high cliffs, rock outcrops, and ledges. Pale green leaves are linear to lanceolate and 2-8.8″ long. The spike-like flowering stalks are up to about 20″ long and carry lavender flowers subtended by purplish bell-shaped involucres.
Height: 20″
Bloom Time: Mid to late summer
Bloom Color: Lavender
Light: Full sun
Soil: Average, medium moist, well-drained, acidic
USDA Hardiness Zones: 6-7 (?)
Photo Credit: Kim Tripp, USFWS, Wikimedia Commons
Grassleaf blazingstar (Liatris pilosa)
Native to Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland as well as places in the Southeast, this slender liatris is also known as sandhills blazing star, shaggy blazing star, and shaggy gayfeather. It grows in open woodlands, forest edges, pine barrens, fields, dune depressions, and edges of salt marshes. Plants ha e a basal tuft of narrow lanceolate leaves up to 12″ long, with hair fringed margins. Upper stem leaves are needle-like and 2-3″ long. Flowerheads appear in spikes and consist of 7-10 pink to purple disc florets. Flower stems are good in the vase.
Height: 1-4′
Bloom Time: Late summer into mid-fall
Bloom Color: Pink, purple
Light: Full sun, tolerates some shade
Soil: Average to lean, sandy, dry to moderately moist, well-drained
USDA Hardiness Zones: 6-9
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Savanna Blazing Star (Liatris scariosa)
Also called Devil’s bite, savanna blazing star is native to dry woods and clearings of the Mid-Atlantic as well as parts of the Midwest, New England and the Southeast. It forms basal tufts of narrow leaves up to 10″ long and has stem leaves up to 3″ long. In late summer to early fall, flowering stems 2-4′ tall produce interrupted clusters of fluffy flower heads in terminal racemes up to 18″ long. The flower heads are reddish-purple, 1″ across and attractive to hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators. The seeds are attractive to songbirds.
Height: 2-4′
Bloom Time: Mid-summer to mid-fall
Bloom Color: Reddish purple
Light: Full sun
Soil: Sandy to average, dry to medium moist, well-drained; tolerates poor soil, summer heat and humidity
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-8
Photo Credit: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Wikimedia Commons
Blazing Star (Liatris spicata)
Known by many names including dense blazing star, dense button snakeroot, gayfeather, marsh blazing star ,sessile-headed blazing star, snakeroot, and spike gayfeather, this popular wildflower is native to New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland as well as to parts of the Midwest, Southeast, and New England. It grows in a variety of habitats including moist, wood openings, mesic prairies, meadows, and marsh edges. Plants form clumps of grass-like leaves up to 12″ long and leafy flower stalks up to 6′ tall. The red-purple flowerheads are densely arranged in terminal spikes 6-12″ long. They appear from mid summer to mid fall, are 3/4″ across, and are attractive to hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators. The seeds are attractive to song birds.
Height: 2-6′
Bloom Time: Summer
Bloom Color: Red-purple
Light: Full sun
Soil: Average, medium moist, well-drained; tolerates summer heat and humidity
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-8
Photo Credit: Mason Brock, Wikimedia Commons
Scaly Blazing Star (Liatris squarrosa)
Scaly blazing star is native to Delaware and Maryland as well as to parts of the Rocky Mountain area, Southwest, most of the Midwest, and all of the Southeast. It grows in a variety of habitats including woodlands, savannah, and prairie. The linear leaves are 3-6″ long and less numerous than in other Liatris species. From summer into fall, tuft-like flower heads appear sparsely arranged on the ends of unbranched flowering stems 1-3′ tall. The flower heads are purple, up to 1″ across, and attracts humming birds, butterflies, and other pollinators.
Height: 1-3′
Bloom Time: Summer to fall (relatively early bloomer)
Bloom Color: Purple
Light: Full sun
Soil: Sandy or rocky, medium-dry to dry, well-drained
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-8
Photo Credit: Mason Brock
The Middle Atlantic region includes Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia. The region is characterized by cold winters and hot summers, high humidity in summer along some areas along the coast, and precipitation between 32 and 52″ per year.