Dwarf Blazingstar (Liatris cylindracea)

$5.00

Dwarf Blazingstar, (aka Cylindrical Blazing Star) like most blazingstars, attracts many different native bees, butterflies, and skippers. It is a host plant to 6 species of butterflies and moths in our area (nwf.org) and a host plant to the specialist bees Melissodes coloradensis and Melissodes vernoniae (Johnson and Colla, 2023). It is also recommended as a monarch nectar source by the Xerces Society (Xerces.org). They are often browsed by deer though, so take note. Mine have mostly bounced back after it has been nibbled.

Photo credit: Joshua Mayer

Size:

Dwarf Blazingstar, (aka Cylindrical Blazing Star) like most blazingstars, attracts many different native bees, butterflies, and skippers. It is a host plant to 6 species of butterflies and moths in our area (nwf.org) and a host plant to the specialist bees Melissodes coloradensis and Melissodes vernoniae (Johnson and Colla, 2023). It is also recommended as a monarch nectar source by the Xerces Society (Xerces.org). They are often browsed by deer though, so take note. Mine have mostly bounced back after it has been nibbled.

Photo credit: Joshua Mayer

Life Cycle: Perennial 

Sun Exposure: Full-Partial (but seems to prefer full sun)

Soil Moisture: Medium/dry-Dry

Height:  1 foot 

Plant Spacing:  0.5-1 foot

Bloom Time: July-October

Bloom Color: Purple

Advantages: Pollinator Favorite, Great Landscape Plant

Host: 6 species of butterflies and moths use this as a caterpillar host plant in our area (nwf.org)

Specialist Bee: Melissodes coloradensis and Melissodes vernoniae (Johnson and Colla, 2023)

Complementary Plants: Blue vervain, Butterfly weed, Gray-headed coneflower, Culver’s root, Rattlesnake master, Mountain mint, Coneflowers, Monarda, Milkweeds

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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