Dig into Plants: Dense Blazing Star

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Dense Blazing Star

Other Common Names: Dense Gayfeather, Dense Liatris, Marsh Blazing Star, Marsh Gayfeather, Marsh Liatris

Scientific Name: Liatris spicata

Native to Alabama: Yes

Alternate Native Species:
Prairie Blazing Star (Liatris pycnostachya)

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – Will Stuart

Learn More About...

Basic Plant Information

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – Stephanie Brundage

I am a vascular plant with no woody stems above ground, so I am herbaceous.
I do not keep leaves year-round, so I am deciduous.
I die back in winter but regrow in spring for many seasons, so I am perennial.
I can grow 2 – 5 feet high and 1 – 2 feet wide.

Ecological Benefits

This plant provides food for:

Butterflies

Native Bees

Hummingbirds

Other Birds

Other Plants Found in Alabama with Similar Ecological Benefits:

Tall Blazing Star
(Liatris aspera)

Dwarf Blazing Stars
(Liatris cylindracea)

Pink-scale Blazing Star
(Liatris elegans)

Large Blazing Star
(Liatris scariosa)

Dwarf Blazing Stars
(Liatris cylindracea)

Maintenance Notes

Dormant in winter.
Flowers can be cut for an indoor vase.
Flowers can be cut back in mid-summer to reduce height.
When watering, hold hose to base of plant for a count of 5 seconds. Water should reach all roots.
Avoid sprinkling water on the leaves.
Requires moist to wet soil at all times.

Moist to wet soil at all times: water three times per week.

Habitat Requirements

This plant prefers:

Full Sun
(6+ hours of sun per day)

Prefers moist or wet soil at all times

Well-drained, Acidic,
or Moist Soil

Leaf, Flower & Seed Identification

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – James L. Reveal

LEAF DESCRIPTION

Grass-like leaves are up to 12 inches long and clump towards the base of the plant, but extend upward to a showy flower cluster; basal leaves are alternate and form a rosette and are larger; stem leaves gradually decrease in size toward the top.

Leaf Characteristics Chart (PDF)


Shape: Cordate	Margin: Entire/Smooth

Arrangement: Alternate	Form: Simple

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – R.W. Smith

FLOWER DESCRIPTION

Flowers are produced in heads that are arranged in dense spikes (6 – 12 inches long) at the ends of stalks; the heads are rounded, fluffy, and grow directly from the stalk; each head has 5-8 tubular disk florets (tubular, fertile floret that forms disk); one or more flower stalks arise from base of plant

Flower Shape Chart (JPG)


Color: Purple	Shape: Tubular	Bloom Months: Jul – Sep

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database – Steve Hurst

SEED DESCRIPTION

Plant spreads by:
Seeds and Rhizomes/ Tubers/ Roots & Shoots
Easy to establish by seed; can also spread via underground roots


Type: Fruit - Dry Seed Pod	Description: Fruit has crown of bristles	Months in Seed: Summer – Fall

Plant Life Cycle

Plant Life Cycle:

All plants start life as a seed.
The seed turns into a sprout when it grows roots.
The sprout becomes a seedling as grows a stem and leaves above the ground.
After the seedling becomes an adult plant it will grow flowers.

General Plant Life Cycle – Dreamstime

Plant Life Cycle continues:

After the flowers finish blooming, each flower turns into a seed.
When the seeds fall down to the ground, the plant life cycle starts again.
Each seed can become a plant if it has the food, water and space that it needs to grow.

Wikimedia – Density

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS

Quick Fact Sheet
(Condensed Species Info)

Plant ID Sign (Text Only):
Ready as-is PDF

Plant ID Sign (With Picture):
Ready as-is PDF

QR Code
(Links to this Webpage)

Plant ID Sign (Text Only):
Editable Word Doc

Plant ID Sign (With Picture):
Editable Word Doc

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