Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
Species Identification
Information needed to identify the plant in the field
Native-MIFlora:
Native
Duration:
perennial
Height:
3'-5'
Stature:
Chest
Bloom Color:
Pink-Purple
Compact Bloom Range:
JUL
Light:
Sn, P
Moisture:
M, Ms
Michigan Flora Description:
Moist sandy plains and shores, marshy meadows; wet prairies, fens, tamarack swamps; mucky swales, marly shores, roadsides and fields; unlike other species, rarely in drier oak or jack pine savanna. C. K. Dodge wrote on an 1896 label: “Thousands of acres covered with it about Lake St. Clair.” This species hybridizes with L. pycnostachya . Rare individuals with scattered hairs in the inflorescence and other intermediate conditions indicate some introgression. White-flowered plants are f. albiflora Britton and have been found on Harsens Island, St. Clair Co. This species especially (but also other Liatris ) are cultivated, and some outlying northern records may be escapes from cultivation.
Germination Ecology / Real-World Behavior:(ⓘ Prompt)
Dense blazing star seeds disperse in late summer to fall when the fluffy, bristled seeds (achenes) catch wind and spread from the dried flower heads. Seeds have physical dormancy requiring scarification and physiological dormancy needing cold stratification. In nature, seeds undergo winter weathering that breaks down the seed coat and provides the required cold treatment. Natural germination occurs in spring after soil temperatures warm, typically producing seedlings in the second growing season rather than immediately after dispersal.
Based on genus patterns: Seeds disperse in late fall through winter via wind-carried pappus, with natural dispersal occurring from October through March. Based on family patterns: Seeds exhibit physiological dormancy typical of Asteraceae, requiring cold-moist stratification to break dormancy and synchronize germination. Based on species patterns: Natural germination occurs in spring after winter's cold period satisfies dormancy requirements, with seedlings emerging as soil temperatures warm in April-May. Based on general practice: Seeds that don't receive adequate cold treatment may exhibit delayed, sporadic, or reduced germination rates compared to stratified seeds.
Habitat Notes:(ⓘ Prompt)
Marsh blazing star grows in moist sandy plains and shores, marshy meadows, wet prairies, fens, and tamarack swamps in Michigan. It thrives in mucky swales and marly shores, and can also be found along roadsides and fields. Unlike other blazing star species, it rarely grows in drier oak or jack pine savannas, preferring wetter conditions. The species produces fluffy seeds with tufts that allow wind to efficiently carry them over long distances for dispersal. When mature, the fluffy seed heads release their wind-borne seeds to establish new colonies in suitable wet to mesic prairie and wetland habitats.
Additionally found in moist black soil prairies, moist sand prairies, prairie swales, grassy fens, calcareous seeps, and moist alkaline sandflats in Illinois. The species shows a clear preference for higher quality natural areas, especially where sandy soils are present. Go Botany notes it can also colonize human-disturbed habitats like meadows and fields. Seeds have barbed bristles (pappus) that enhance wind dispersal, with the feathery appearance created by protruding styles giving the flower heads their characteristic look before seed development.
Based on species patterns: Liatris spicata typically grows in moist to moderately dry prairies, meadows, and open woodlands throughout the Great Lakes region. Based on genus patterns: Plants prefer full sun to partial shade and adapt to various soil types from sandy to clay loam. Based on family patterns: Seeds are equipped with feathery pappus structures typical of Asteraceae that enable wind dispersal. The distinctive purple flower spikes bloom from top to bottom in late summer, after which the small, elongated seeds with their prominent white pappus are released and carried by wind currents across the landscape.
BONAP Range Map:
SE Michigan Monthly Observations:
External Reference URLs:
Previously Known As:
Kuhnia spicata, Lacinaria elongata, Lacinaria spicata, Lacinaria vittata, Liatris callilepis, Liatris macrostachya, Liatris magnifica, Liatris picta, Liatris picta, Liatris pilosa, Liatris pumila, Liatris sessiliflora, Liatris sessiliflora
Common Names:
Dense Blazing Star, Marsh Blazing Star, Prairie Blazing Star, Gayfeather, Spike Gayfeather, Button Snakeroot, Spiked Blazing Star
Coefficient of Conservatism (C):
8.0
— Needs quality habitat
This plant is choosy about where it lives. It strongly prefers natural areas that haven't been heavily disturbed.
Explained
Similar Species / Distinguishing Features:(ⓘ Prompt)
• Native — **Liatris pycnostachya** (Prairie Blazingstar): outer bracts sharply pointed and curved outward (vs. L. spicata with blunt, rounded bracts pressed against stem); flower spike axis usually hairy (vs. L. spicata usually hairless). **Liatris novae-angliae** (New England Blazingstar): flower heads on short stalks 10-50 mm long with 25-80 flowers each, disk flowers longer than 11 mm (vs. L. spicata with sessile heads, 5-10 flowers each, disk flowers 7-11 mm long).
• Based on genus patterns:
• Native — Liatris aspera (rough blazingstar) has a more open flower spike and rougher leaves.
• Native — Liatris pycnostachya (prairie blazingstar) is typically taller with denser flower spikes.
• Native — Liatris scariosa (large blazingstar) has rounded flower heads rather than spikes.
• Native — Liatris cylindracea (cylindrical blazingstar) has smaller, more cylindrical flower heads. Based on family patterns:
• Native — Vernonia species (ironweeds) bloom purple but have broader leaves and different flower structure.
• Native — Eupatorium species (joe-pye weeds) are taller with different leaf arrangement and flower clusters.
• Native — Liatris aspera (rough blazingstar) has a more open flower spike and rougher leaves.
• Native — Liatris pycnostachya (prairie blazingstar) is typically taller with denser flower spikes.
• Native — Liatris scariosa (large blazingstar) has rounded flower heads rather than spikes.
• Native — Liatris cylindracea (cylindrical blazingstar) has smaller, more cylindrical flower heads. Based on family patterns:
• Native — Vernonia species (ironweeds) bloom purple but have broader leaves and different flower structure.
• Native — Eupatorium species (joe-pye weeds) are taller with different leaf arrangement and flower clusters.
Wikipedia Summary:
Liatris spicata, the dense blazing star or prairie gay feather, is an herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the sunflower and daisy family Asteraceae. It is native to eastern North America where it grows in moist prairies and sedge meadows.
Cloudinary Images - Identification
3 images
