Extend your garden’s color well into the fall with Clusterleaf Blazing Star (Liatris laevigata), a native perennial wildflower prized for its late-season blooms and dramatic height.
Beginning in mid-summer, this tough native sends up tall, graceful flower stalks that eventually reach 3 to 4 feet high—standing several inches taller than its cousin, scrub blazing star. As the season progresses, it develops bold flower buds held at a striking outward angle along the stem, opening into larger, showier lavender-purple blooms. While its display is a bit softer than some of our more densely packed blazing stars, it blooms later than most other species—lighting up the landscape from late October into early November just as other wildflowers are fading.
Thriving in sunny, sandy spots with exceptionally well-drained soil, Clusterleaf Blazing Star is effortlessly drought-tolerant once established. Best of all, its late-fall blossoms serve as a vital, late-season nectar source for native bees, skippers, and swallowtail butterflies preparing for winter.
- Type: Perennial wildflower
- Mature Size: 3–4 ft. tall
- Flower Color: Lavender-purple
- Bloom Time: Late October – November
- Light Exposure: Full sun
- Moisture: Exceptionally well-drained; drought-tolerant
- Soil Preference: Sand