# Giant Blazingstar (*Mentzelia laevicaulis*)

The Giant Blazingstar is a bright yellow flower that shines like a star in the desert! It has long, thin petals and grows tall, making it easy to spot among the sand.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Desert

![Giant Blazingstar](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Mentzelia_laevicaulis_2.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mentzelia_laevicaulis_2.jpg)

## Appearance

The Giant Blazingstar has large, showy, bright yellow flowers with numerous prominent white stamens that give them a fiery, star-like appearance. Its stiff, hairy stems support deeply lobed, often grayish-green leaves, making it visually striking on dry landscapes.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Cornales
- **Family:** Loasaceae
- **Genus:** Mentzelia

## Interesting facts

- It can grow in super tough, dry, rocky soil where few other plants survive!
- Its seeds were once ground into a flour, a survival food in harsh deserts!
- Some of its stems are so rough they feel like sandpaper to touch!
- The bright yellow flowers are so big, they can be as wide as your hand!

## Special abilities

- **Sticky Seed Dispersal:** Giant Blazingstar has barbed seeds that readily attach to animal fur, helping it hitch rides and spread its offspring to new locations.
- **Deep Taproot Digger:** This plant develops a long, strong taproot that allows it to access deep water sources, helping it survive in dry desert environments.
- **Pollen Beacon:** Its large, bright yellow flowers are covered in pollen-rich stamens, acting as a clear visual signal to attract insect pollinators.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-100 cm
- **Spread:** 30-60 cm
- **Flower Size:** 5-10 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer-fall
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Biennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects pollen and nectar
- **Pollinates:** Western Bumblebee (*Bombus vosnesenskii*) — foraging for pollen and nectar
- **Pollinates:** White-lined Sphinx Moth (*Hyles lineata*) — feeding on nectar, especially at dusk

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.
- [Drought Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/drought-tolerant): Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
- [Desert](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/desert): Desert habitats are arid regions characterized by extremely low precipitation and often extreme temperatures, supporting specialized flora and fauna.
- [Giant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/giant): Giant describes organisms or objects of significantly larger size than average for their species or type.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch wild flowers, as they can be delicate.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Giant Blazingstar?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Giant Blazingstar?

30-100 cm

### How wide does Giant Blazingstar spread?

30-60 cm

### How big are the flowers on Giant Blazingstar?

5-10 cm

### When does Giant Blazingstar bloom?

Summer-fall

### Is Giant Blazingstar edible?

Yes

### Is Giant Blazingstar toxic?

None

### What is Giant Blazingstar's lifecycle?

Biennial

## Where to spot

- [Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/craters-of-the-moon-national-monument-and-preserve) — Idaho, US · National Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Giant Blazingstar: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/giant-blazingstar)