Dotted Blazingstar Liatris punctata is a Michigan Native plant available at Wild Cherry Farm
Dotted Blazingstar Liatris punctata is a Michigan Native plant available at Wild Cherry Farm

Dotted Blazingstar (Liatris punctata)

from $3.50

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

Size:

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

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