Liatris pilosa
A graceful eastern U.S. native perennial with narrow, grass-like foliage bears spikes of purple flowers from August to October, serves as a monarch nectar source and provides seeds for birds, tolerates dry, well-drained soils in full sun to partial shade, and attracts butterflies and other pollinators.
Common Names
Shaggy Blazing Star, Grass-Leaf Blazing Star, Sandhills Blazing Star
Summary
Grass-leaf blazing-star, a herbaceous perennial native to the eastern United States, grows with erect stems 1–3 ft tall and basal along-stem leaves that narrow toward the tip, spikes of purple flowers rise on the stems, opening from the top down and blooming in late summer to fall, with each head containing 7–12 pinkish-purple florets and serving as a late-season nectar source that attracts hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies, grows best in full sun to filtered shade, in dry to well-drained soils, and is drought-tolerant once established, hardy in USDA zones 6–9, propagation occurs by seeds or corm division, with seeds taking longer to establish, spacing up to 2 ft supports garden displays, suitable for borders, edges, and meadows, the plant is generally free of significant disease or pest issues
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
1-3 feet
Spread
12-24 inches
Hardiness Zones
Zones 6-9
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full Sun.
Soil Type
Well-drained soil, preferably dry to average, commonly sandy to sandy-loam
Soil Drainage
Well-drained soil
Soil pH
Slightly acidic, neutral, or slightly alkaline
Bloom Color
Purple
Bloom Time
Summer through Fall
Foliage Color
Green
Fall Foliage Color
Green
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
Medium
Seasons of Interest
Summer and Fall
Propagation Methods
Seeds and Division; seeds take longer to establish than divisions.
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees, butterflies, other pollinators, birds
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- Willd.
- Publication
- Sp. Pl., ed. 4 , 3: 1636 (1803)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Asterales
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Subfamily
- Asteroideae
- Tribe
- Eupatorieae
- Subtribe
- Liatrinae
- Genus
- Liatris
Synonyms
Lacinaria pilosa Liatris virgata Anonymos ciliata Liatris spicata var. racemosa Lacinaria graminifolia Lacinaria pilosa Serratula pilosa Liatris graminifolia var. lasia Liatris pilosa var. pilosa Liatris graminifolia var. graminifolia Liatris pilosa var. laevicaulis Liatris graminifolia var. virgata Lacinaria graminifolia var. graminifolia Liatris graminifolia var. racemosa Liatris graminifolia var. dubia Lacinaria graminifolia var. pilosa Liatris propinqua Liatris dubia Anonymos graminifolia Liatris elegantula Liatris graminifolia var. smallii Liatris graminifolia Liatris graminifolia