Blazing Star Plant

Native to the open meadows and prairies of the eastern part of North America, the Blazing Star plant (Liatris spicata) features stunning spires of purple flowers over grasslike foliage. As one of the few flowering perennials that keep going strong even during summer's heat, Blazing Star is valued in the home landscape for keeping gardens looking lively as other flowering plants begin to languish.

The Blazing Star Plant is Easy to Grow

Blazing Star isn't fussy about soils and performs better if not planted in soil richly amended with organic matter or given too much fertilizer. This plant's primary requirement is good drainage, so homeowners should take care not to plant it in low-lying areas of their property and amend heavy clay soils with sand to increase drainage before planting.

The Blazing Star Plant is an Excellent Addition to the Cutting Garden

Because their flowers last a long time after being cut and placed in a vase with water, Blazing Stars are ideal for inclusion in home-cutting gardens. This plant’s tall purple flower spires make a dramatic statement when used as the focal point of a bouquet.

The Blazing Star Plant is Ideal for the Back of the Border

Blazing Stars can grow as tall as eight feet high when conditions are ideal. As a general rule, they don't require staking unless they're growing overly moist or fertile soil, so remember that as prairie plants, they like it on the dry side. They're an ideal back-of-the-border plant in everything from formal to casual cottage gardens. Because of their narrow, upright growth habit, they can be planted close together for dramatic effect.

The Blazing Star Plant is a Reliable Summer Bloomer

Gardens often look strangely empty after the first surge of spring blooms has run its course, which is why reliable summer bloomers are so valuable in the home landscape. The Blazing Star plant is also evident because of its height. Even after its bloom, Blazing Stars continue to add interest and color to the landscape for weeks with orange-bronze stalks and foliage in autumn topped by wheat-colored seed pods.

The Blazing Star Plant is Beloved by the Birds, the Bees, and the Butterflies

Numerous pollinators feast on the nectar produced by Blazing Stars, but the most famous of these is the glorious Monarch Butterfly. It's not unusual to see several Monarch Butterflies competing with each other for a drink of nectar when this plant is in full bloom. Butterflies aren't the only fans of the Blazing Star plants; other butterfly species, bees, moths, and hummingbirds all come to drink the nectar. After the plants go to seed in autumn, several migratory birds stop by to refuel on tasty seeds.