# prairie blazing star (*Liatris pycnostachya*) The prairie blazing star is a beautiful flower that grows tall and has bright purple spikes. It loves sunny places and attracts butterflies and bees, making it a happy spot in the prairie! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![prairie blazing star](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/133681/medium.jpg) Photo: Joshua Mayer, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/133681) ## Appearance The prairie blazing star is a tall, upright perennial with dense spikes of fuzzy, bright purple-pink flowers. Its distinctive blooms appear from the top down, creating a vibrant column that stands out in grasslands. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Asterales - **Family:** Asteraceae - **Genus:** Liatris ## Interesting facts - Indigenous peoples once chewed its root to help with tummy aches! - Its tall flower spikes bloom upside-down, starting at the very top! - Many types of butterflies and bees race to sip its sweet nectar! - Underground, it grows a special round root that stores water like a living canteen! ## Special abilities - **Pollinator Beacon:** This plant can attract a wide variety of butterflies and bees with its vibrant flowers and abundant nectar. - **Fire Fighter:** Prairie blazing star can resprout from its robust root system after a prairie fire, helping it thrive in its natural habitat. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 90-180 cm - **Spread:** 30-60 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late summer to fall - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** [Monarch butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/monarch-butterfly) (*Danaus plexippus*) — nectar fuels its epic migration - **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects pollen and nectar - **Pollinates:** [Eastern tiger swallowtail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-tiger-swallowtail) (*Papilio glaucus*) — visits flowers for sweet nectar - **Eats:** [Thirteen-lined ground squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/thirteen-lined-ground-squirrel) (*Spermophilus tridecemlineatus*) — sometimes digs up and eats corms ## 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. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [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. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't pick flowers, so they can keep growing for everyone to enjoy! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify prairie blazing star? 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 prairie blazing star? 90-180 cm ### How wide does prairie blazing star spread? 30-60 cm ### How big are the flowers on prairie blazing star? 1-2 cm ### When does prairie blazing star bloom? Late summer to fall ### Is prairie blazing star edible? Yes ### Is prairie blazing star toxic? None ### What is prairie blazing star's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [High Trestle Trail](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/high-trestle-trail) — Iowa, US · Trail - [Richard Bong State Recreation Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/richard-bong-state-recreation-area) — Wisconsin, US · State Park - [University of Wisconsin–Madison Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/university-of-wisconsin-madison-arboretum) — Wisconsin, US · Botanical Garden - [Illinois Caverns State Natural Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/illinois-caverns-state-natural-area) — Illinois, US · State Park - [Lake Ahquabi State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lake-ahquabi-state-park) — Iowa, US · State Park [View all places to see prairie blazing star](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/prairie-blazing-star) ## 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*) --- Source: [Prairie Blazing Star: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/prairie-blazing-star)