Grass-leaf Blazing Star Liatris pilosa

Sandhills Blazing Star, a member of the Asteraceae (daisy) family is a slender, herbaceous, upright perennial native to the Eastern United States.  

It is noted for its showy spikes of purple flowers in summer through fall.  It prefers full sun and dry, sandy, or rocky soil with good drainage and tolerates heat and drought.  Its habitat includes long leaf pine sandhills, streams, pine barrens, sand ridges, other xeric forests and woodlands, fields, and road banks.  

Its erect growth proved vertical interest in the garden, attracts butterflies and pollinators and makes good cut flowers.

It can be grown from seeds or corms, however seeds can take longer to establish.  

With regard to taxonomy, L. pilosa has been misapplied to L. graminifolia var. elegantula.  Plants identified as L. pilosa may actually be L. elegantula.

Erect stems are green with fine darker green ridges and reach 1-3 feet tall. Leaves appear both basally and along the stem, getting smaller as they reach the tip.  The undersides may have fine hairs.   Flower heads appear on a spike,  with 7-10 florets, each floret contains small, tubular 5-lobed pink-purple blossoms with rounded petal tips.  Long-tongued bees or butterflies may visit the flowers. Propagation is either completed by corm or seeds. 

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:  No insect or disease issues.  Intolerant of wet soil and becomes lanky in shade.

More information on Liatris.