Blazing star (Liatris gracilis) is a short-lived perennial in the Aster family whose native range includes most of Florida and a few counties in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. Found in habitat that includes dry hammocks, oak scrubs, longleaf pine-wiregrass flatwoods communities, mixed oak-pine woodlands, grasslands, sandhills, and limestone outcroppings, blazing star cannot tolerate wet to slightly dry soil. At 4-6 feet tall, the upper 1/3 of blazing star’s stalks are covered in tiny purple flowers that are most profuse during the fall months. Like other Liatris species, blazing star requires full sun and is a great nectar source for native bees, moths, and butterflies. Plant it in the back of your garden and be prepared to let it go to seed — the seeds attract small birds which snack on them.
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