Dense gayfeather, Blazing star
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Liatris spicata
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Asteraceae
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Landscape Uses:
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Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also wildflower and butterfly gardens. |
Ecological Restoration Notes: |
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Availability: |
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Native plant nurseries in central and northern Florida. |
Description: |
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Medium herbaceous wildflower. |
Height: |
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About 2-3 inches in height; to 3 feet when in flower. Taller than broad when in flower. |
Growth Rate: |
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Moderate. |
Range: |
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Widespread in eastern North America south to Miami-Dade and Collier counties. Perhaps never present or extirpated in Broward County. Not documented on barrier islands in South Florida, but possibly historically present; it is cultivated at Pan’s Garden in Palm Beach. |
Habitats: |
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Pinelands and prairies. |
Soils: |
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Moist to wet, well-drained to moderately well drained sandy or limestone soils, without humus. |
Nutritional Requirements: |
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Low; it grows in nutrient poor soils. |
Salt Water Tolerance: |
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Low; does not tolerate flooding by salt or brackish water. |
Salt Wind Tolerance: |
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Low; salt wind may burn the leaves. |
Drought Tolerance: |
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High; does not require any supplemental water once established. |
Light Requirements: |
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Full sun. |
Flower Color: |
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Rose purplish. |
Flower Characteristics: |
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Showy. |
Flowering Season: |
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Summer-fall. |
Fruit: |
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Inconspicuous achene. |
Wildlife and Ecology: |
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Atttracts bees, butterflies and other beneficial insect pollinators. Valuable source of insects for birds. |
Horticultural Notes: |
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Can be grown from seed. |
Comments: |
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See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's Flower Friday page. See a 2018 post on the Treasure Coast Natives blog on Blazing Stars and their flowers.
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