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(Liatris scariosa)
Blazing Star

Hosted Species: Wavy-lined Emerald, Liatris Leaf Borer

Nectar Plant: many insects including other butterflies, bees, wasps, and birds such as hummingbirds.

Flower Color: white, red, purple to pink

Growth Habit: herbaceous perennial that grows from 1 to 5 feet tall

Range in North America: Mid-western and eastern United States

Exposure: Prefers full sun to light shade

Hardiness: Zones 3-8

Soil Requirements: well-drained soil that is dry to mesic

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Blazing Star (Liatris scariosa)

Purplish-pink flowers of blazing star (Liatris scariosa) with bee.
Flowers of Blazing Star — Ephramac, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Alternative Names

Devil’s bite, large blazing star, tall gayfeather, northern blazing star, savanna blazing star, Eastern Blazing Star

Description of Blazing Star (Liatris scariosa)

Blazing Star (Liatris scariosa), a member of the Asteraceae (Aster Family), is a herbaceous perennial that grows 1′ to 5′ tall and blooms in the summer to fall (August to October).  The fruits, which are achenes, mature in the late summer to fall.

Hosted Species

Wavy-lined Emerald (Synchlora aerata)

Wavy-lined Emerald (Synchlora aerolata) on fabric.
Wavy-lined Emerald on Fabric — CBG Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Nectar Species

Other butterflies, bees, and wasps use this plant as a nectar source.

Habitat

This species grows in woodlands and clearings where it can get full sun to light shade.

Range of Blazing Star (Liatris scariosa) in the United States and Canada

Range map devil's bite (Liatris scariosa) in the United States and Canada.

Interesting Facts

The genus name, Liatris, is of unknown origin and the species name, scariosa, is Latin for shrivelled.

Native Location

Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

Zone 3, Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8

Exposure Requirements

Full Sun, Part Shade/Part Sun

Plant Habit

Herbaceous

Soil Requirements

Dry, Medium

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Blazing Star”

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