Liatris pilosa (Grass-Leaf Blazing Star)

A confirmed New Jersey native with an unusually graceful, narrow habit, grass-leaf blazing star's late bloom window makes it a genuine anchor for fall pollinator gardens - supporting hummingbirds, long-tongued bees, butterflies, and even day-flying moths as its flowers open.

Species Overview

Liatris pilosa, or grass-leaf blazing star, is a slender, upright perennial reaching 1 to 3 feet tall on erect stems clad with narrow, grass-like leaves. It blooms from mid August to mid October with slender ascending wands of purple flowers, one of the latest of the blazing stars to flower. It is native to open woodlands, forest edges, salt marsh margins, and dune depressions from Pennsylvania and New Jersey south to the Carolinas.

Application

• Native meadow gardens and perennial borders - graceful, unobtrusive foliage
• Late-season pollinator habitat, well into fall
• Nutrient-poor to average soil restoration
• Coastal and dune-margin plantings

Growing Conditions / Specification Data

• Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
• Soil/Moisture Tolerance: Nutrient-poor to average, well-drained soils; intolerant of wet soil
• Drought Tolerance: High
• Flood Tolerance: Low - A dry, sandy-soil blazing star; not tolerant of standing water.
• Plant Type: Forb
• Mature Height: 2-4 ft.
• Fall Color: Insignificant/None
• Bloom Color / Period: Purple; August-October
• Wetland Indicator Status: NI (No Indicator) - see flags
• Native Range: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North and South Carolina
• Hydrology: Dry-Mesic
• Root Depth: Shallow (Under 12 in.) (corm-forming, typical of the genus)
• Salinity Tolerance: Low
• Growth Rate: Moderate
• Shade Tolerance: Intolerant
• Growth Habit: Upright
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-9
• Deer Resistance: No (Frequently Damaged)
• Pollinator Value: Supports bees, supports butterflies, supports moths, supports hummingbirds