Dense blazing star

Liatris spicata

Purple spikes that bloom top down; butterflies queue for it.

Type: herb or perennial · native and wild plants
Hardiness: zones 3 to 9
Light: full sun
Size: about 3 ft tall, 1.5 ft wide
From: E. North America
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.

Good for: pollinators, butterfly and moth caterpillars.

Native to: Northeast, Southeast, Midwest & Great Lakes, Great Plains & Texas, Eastern Canada. Hardy in zones 3 to 9.

The story

Blazing star does something odd: its flower spike opens from the top down, the opposite of nearly every other spike in the garden. It grows from a corm, like a crocus, in wet prairies and meadows.

Planting

Full sun and average to moist soil. Plant the corms in fall or spring, 2 inches deep.

Growing

Stake in rich soil or grow it among grasses that hold it up. Leave the seed heads for goldfinches.

Harvest and use

A top butterfly flower in July and August, especially for monarchs and swallowtails. It is a long-lasting cut flower too.

What to watch for

Voles eat the corms. Wet winter soil rots them.

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More native and wild plants

General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home