Dotted Blazingstar (Liatris punctata)
Like most Liatris, Dotted Blazingstar is visited by many native bees, especially bumblebees, butterflies, and skippers. It is also the host plant to 2 specialist bees, Melissodes coloradensis, Melissodes vernoniae, plus 6 species of butterflies and moths (Johnson and Colla, 2023). Dotted Blazingstar is presumed extirpated (legally 'threatened' if rediscovered) in Michigan, so while you may not be preserving the plant that was once here, you are creating habitat for all of the species that may need it for survival (mnfi.anr.msu.edu).
Photo credit: Matt Levin
Like most Liatris, Dotted Blazingstar is visited by many native bees, especially bumblebees, butterflies, and skippers. It is also the host plant to 2 specialist bees, Melissodes coloradensis, Melissodes vernoniae, plus 6 species of butterflies and moths (Johnson and Colla, 2023). Dotted Blazingstar is presumed extirpated (legally 'threatened' if rediscovered) in Michigan, so while you may not be preserving the plant that was once here, you are creating habitat for all of the species that may need it for survival (mnfi.anr.msu.edu).
Photo credit: Matt Levin
Like most Liatris, Dotted Blazingstar is visited by many native bees, especially bumblebees, butterflies, and skippers. It is also the host plant to 2 specialist bees, Melissodes coloradensis, Melissodes vernoniae, plus 6 species of butterflies and moths (Johnson and Colla, 2023). Dotted Blazingstar is presumed extirpated (legally 'threatened' if rediscovered) in Michigan, so while you may not be preserving the plant that was once here, you are creating habitat for all of the species that may need it for survival (mnfi.anr.msu.edu).
Photo credit: Matt Levin
Life Cycle: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full-Partial
Soil Moisture: Medium-Med/dry
Height: 2 feet
Plant Spacing: 1 foot
Bloom Time: July-September
Bloom Color: Purple
Advantages: Pollinator Favorite, Deer Resistant Great Landscaping Plant
Host Plant: 6 species of butterflies and moths use this as a caterpillar host plant in our area (Johnson and Colla, 2023)
Specialist Bee: Melissodes coloradensis and Melissodes vernoniae (Johnson and Colla, 2023)
Species of concern: State Status: Presumed extirpated State Rank: Presumed extirpated (mnfi.anr.msu.edu)
Resource: Johnson, Lorraine, and Sheila Colla. A Northern Gardener’s Guide to Native Plants and Pollinators: Creating Habitat in the Northeast, Great Lakes, and Upper Midwest. Island Press, 2023
