Kendall County (IL) Forest Preserve District
Rough
Blazing Star
(Tall Blazing Star)
Liatris aspera
[C-value
6]
Aster family (Asteraceae)
Blooms July
-
September
The wonderful native Rough Blazing Star is uncommon in our area. It prefers full sun and moderate-moist to dry black soil prairies and dry prairie remnants. It is a stiff, erect, perennial, 1-4' tall, with open spikes of button-like purple-pink blossoms about 1" across that begin to bloom at the top of the flowering spike and gradually bloom downward as the season progresses. Each flower has 5 petals that spread outward from the corolla tube, from which emerges a long divided curly style. The plant's lower leaves are up to 12" long and 1" wide, smooth, lance shaped, and becoming shorter and narrower as they alternate up the stalk.
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Rough Blazing Star at Richard Young Forest Preserve prairie August 20, 2013
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Rough Blazing Star at Richard Young Forest Preserve prairie September 4, 2013
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Rough Blazing Star pre-blooming at Richard Young Forest Preserve prairie August 20, 2013
Rough Blazing Star at the Oswego Presbyterian Church Monarch Waystation August 6, 2017
Rough Blazing Star foliage at the Oswego Presbyterian Church Monarch Waystation August 6, 2017
Rough Blazing Star fall seed heads
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