Liatris elegans

Common Names

Elegant Blazing Star, Pink-Scale Gayfeather, Pink-Scale Blazing Star, Elegant Gayfeather, White Bract Blazing Star, Handsome Blazing Star, White Featherflower, Colic Root

Summary

Elegant blazing star (Liatris elegans) is native to central and southeastern United States and occurs in open dry habitats such as sandhills, pine-hardwood forests, dry oak woods, and dunes, it is an erect, unbranched perennial reaching about 1 to 4 feet tall, with a basal clump of long, narrow leaves and a dense, cylindrical spike of flowers, the inflorescence features heads about 1 inch tall, each containing 4-5 white to pale pink disk florets with protruding style branches, surrounded by hairy pink-edged bracts and green outer bracts, with upper leaves angled downward toward the top, it prefers full sun and dry, well-drained sandy or rocky soils and is not salt-tolerant, it can be propagated by seed or transplants and is used in wildflower plantings, prairie plantings, cottage and informal gardens, wildlife gardens, borders, and as cut flowers, it attracts native bees and monarch butterflies, deer browse the foliage, and is not a major forage for livestock, it tolerates prescribed fire and suits upland landscapes within its native range

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

12 inches - 4 feet

Spread

6-12 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 7-10

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full Sun.

Soil Type

Well-drained soil, sandy-loam soils

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil

Soil pH

Tolerates all pH levels

Bloom Color

White to purple

Bloom Time

Fall

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Medium

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Division

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees and butterflies