Blazing Star, Prairie (Liatris pycnostachya)

Prairie blazing star is a gorgeous hardy, native perennial plant that grows from a tuber and found mostly in prairie lands across North America. Also called by its genus name Liatris, this plant produces beautiful purple flowers in wand-like spikes or racemes. Their flowers bloom from late summer into autumn and have a have an unusual habit of opening from the top down while most spike-flowered perennials generally bloom sequentially from the bottom up. Prairie Blazing Star attracts all manner of bees and butterflies, and it is an important flower to include in a pollinator garden.

Flower Pic Credit: Erin O'Hara