Scaly blazing star is a native perennial wildflower in the Asteracae (daisy) family found in upland woodlands. The spikey purple flowers appear from late summer into the fall. This plant grows 1 to 3 feet in height from corms and has small linear leaves with. One inch flowerheads have squarish bracts that are spaced up an unbranched stem. This plant attracts hummingbirds, moths, butterflies, and other pollinators. Grow this plant in well-drained sandy or rocky soils in full sun. It can be used in the native pollinator garden in the middle border or small groups. It can also be used in naturalized areas. 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)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Occasionally Dry
Available space
Less than 12 inches; 12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in. | Width: 0 ft. 6 in. - 1 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Erect
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Smooth
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
The green leaves are 4-6" long and about ¼" across and become gradually smaller as they go up the stem. They are smooth to short pubescent, sessile and linear in shape with entire margins.
Flower color
Purple/Lavender
Flower form
Head; Spike
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Multiple small disc flowers are arranged in heads up to 1 inch wide and can be sparsely arranged up the stem. Individual flowers are purple/lavender and tubular in shape with 5 petals. The scaly bracts are either straight or recurved and loosely arranged around the base of each flowerhead. This is one of the earlier blooming Liatris plants and blooms from June to August.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit color
Cream/Tan
Fruit type
Achene
Fruit detail
The fruit is an achene with tufts of barbed hairs
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
The ridged green stems can be smooth or hairy.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Eastern and central U.S.A
Distribution
AL , AR , CO , DC , DE , FL , GA , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MD , MI , MO , MS , NC , NE , OH , OK , SC , SD , TN , TX , VA , WV
Wildlife value
Attracts pollinators, moths, butterflies and hummingbirds