Rough Blazing-star is a native perennial in the Asteraceae (daisy) family that grows from a corm. It is commonly found in prairies, glades and barren areas in the eastern and central USA. The specific epithet means rough. This plant will adapt to most well-drained soils but prefers an acidic sandy or rocky soil in full sun to partial shade. It grows 2 to 3 feet tall and 1 to 1.5 feet wide. Taller flower stalks may need staking. Propagate It blooms late summer into fall with spikes of showy purple composite flowers that butterflies love. Flowers bloom from the top of the plant down. Use in the native, butterfly, rock or cottage garden near the middle to back of the border. It can also naturalize in the wildflower meadow. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. Root rot can occur on to wet soils. More information on Liatris .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Moist | Occasionally Dry
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Linear
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Rough
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Narrow lance-shaped basal green leaves up to 12 inches long and 1 inch across. Become shorter and narrow as they go up the stalk. Slightly pubescent.
Flower color
Pink; Purple/Lavender
Flower value
Good Cut; Showy
Flower form
Head; Spike
Flower shape
Star
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Bright purple, fluffy-looking star-shaped disc flowers are crowded into rounded heads of about 1 inch across along the stem. Blooms from August to October. Flowers bloom from the top of the plant down.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Gray/Silver
Fruit type
Achene
Fruit detail
The achenes have large tufts of stiff hair that are light greyish brown and are distributed by the wind. Displays from September to October
Stem color
Green; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
Central stem green to dark red with short stiff hairs
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
S.E. Canada to eastern U.S.A.
Wildlife value
Attracts pollinators. Birds eat the seeds.
Attracts
Butterflies; Hummingbirds; Pollinators; Songbirds
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Achene
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Meadow; Naturalized Area
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Cutting Garden; Native Garden; Pollinator Garden; Rock Garden