Meadow Blazing Star
Meadow Blazing Star is the ultimate nectar plant for Monarch butterflies. Numerous other butterflies and pollinators will visit as well, along with hummingbirds. …
| Soil Type | Loam |
|---|---|
| Soil Moisture | Medium, Moist |
| Sun Exposure | Full Sun |
| Height | 3' - 5' |
| Bloom Color | Lavender, Pink, Purple |
| Bloom Time | Aug, Sep |
| Spacing | 6" - 1' |
| Zones | 3, 4, 5, 6 |
| Root Type | Corm |
| Benefits | Birds, Butterflies, Pollinators, Hummingbirds, Host Plant |
Meadow Blazing Star is the ultimate nectar plant for Monarch butterflies. Numerous other butterflies and pollinators will visit as well, along with hummingbirds. The late season seeds are popular with Goldfinches.
Liatris ligulistylis lends a vertical accent to perennial borders. It can grow up to 5' tall when planted in rich soils, in which case you may want to stake the plants. This Liatris is somewhat tolerant of dry soils, but is best planted in areas that have consistently "medium" soil moisture and fertility. It tolerates summer heat and humidity, but avoid planting it in soils that stay wet in the winter.
Meadow Blazing Star can be distinguished from Rough Blazing Star by its flower stems which are longer and more widely branched. Its bloom color can lean toward magenta, and the tufted blossoms often appear all at once along the stems, lasting for many weeks in late summer.
Plants in the Liatris genus are known to host numerous small moths, such as the Glorious Flower moth (Schinia gloriosa), Three lined Flower moth (Schinia trifascia), Wavy-Lined Emerald (Synchlora aerata), and the Blazing Star Borer moth (Carmenta anthracipennis).
