Native Plants

Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

Enter a Plant Name:
Or you can choose a plant family:

Stuart, Will

Liatris squarrosa

Liatris squarrosa (L.) Michx.

Scaly Blazing Star, Scaly Gayfeather, Scaly Liatris

Asteraceae (Aster Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: LISQ

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

Scaly gayfeather or blazing star may have one or several stems, each erect, unbranched, and 10-30 in. tall. Its leaves are not as numerous as in most other Liatris species. Tuft-like, red-violet flower heads are few and openly spaced in a spike along the top of the stem.

This is one of the earliest Liatris species to bloom.

From the Image Gallery

16 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Size Notes: Up to about 30 inches tall.
Fruit: Fruit is a cypsela (pl. cypselae). Though technically incorrect, the fruit is often referred to as an achene.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Purple
Bloom Time: Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , CO , DC , DE , FL , GA , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MD , MI , MO , MS , NC , NE , OH , OK , SC , SD , TN , TX , VA , WV
Native Distribution: VA & OH to e. CO, s. to FL & e. TX
Native Habitat: Dry, sandy prairie; thin woods

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil Description: Rocky or sandy soils.
Conditions Comments: This is one of the earliest Liatris to bloom.

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Find Seed or Plants

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Delaware Nature Society - Hockessin, DE
Crosby Arboretum - Picayune, MS
Mt. Cuba Center - Hockessin, DE

Bibliography

Bibref 281 - Shinners & Mahler's Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas (1999) Diggs, G. M.; B. L. Lipscomb; B. O'Kennon; W. F...
Bibref 328 - Wildflowers of Texas (2003) Ajilvsgi, Geyata.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.

Additional resources

USDA: Find Liatris squarrosa in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Liatris squarrosa in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Liatris squarrosa

Metadata

Record Modified: 2022-12-29
Research By: TWC Staff

Go back