2019 September of the Month

BWSR Featured Plant Name: Meadow blazing star ( ligulistylis) Plant family: (Aster) Meadow blazing If you’re a fan of monarch stars bloom in late summer, and can butterflies, meadow blazing star flower for several — AKA Northern Plains blazing weeks. Photo Credit: BWSR star, Rocky Mountain blazing star, meadow gayfeather Plant Stats or Rocky Uses STATEWIDE While milkweed Mountain WETLAND is essential gayfeather INDICATOR for monarch — would STATUS: Great larvae, the Plains: FAC; butterflies also be a great Midwest: FACU; require nectar addition North-central sources — most to your and Northeast: importantly, FACU those with early residential, or late blooming shoreline or PRIMARY USES: Pollinators’ seasons. Its wet-meadow late and long- nectar source; lasting blooming planting. birds’ seed season, ’ many source; gardens abundant blooms are a nectar, and tolerance of concentrated varied habitats nectar source for monarchs, make meadow allowing them to linger and feed, blazing star a highly valued giving the plant the nickname pollinator plant. “Monarch Magnet.” It is also Bumblebees, valuable for native bees including hummingbirds, the endangered rusty patched and other butterflies Range bumblebee. All five native including Found in select counties species of blazing star that grow painted lady across the Midwest and in provide nectar for butterflies, Great Plains states, meadow sulphurs, butterflies and bumblebees. But swallowtails blazing star is most common meadow blazing star is the most in Minnesota and North and fritillaries heavily used by pollinators. The feed on the Dakota. It is also native nectar. Later to the central Canadian tall stalks and long blooming in the season, provinces. As its name times provide good butterfly goldfinches and suggests, it prefers meadows viewing opportunities. In the fall, other birds eat and open areas. Range map source: University of birds eat the seeds. the seeds. Minnesota Herbarium

www.bwsr.state.mn.us 1 Identification Planting Mature plants can stars’ flowers emerge Recommendations grow anywhere from 1 in late summer and to 5 feet tall, though 2- can last for weeks. Meadow blazing star prefers rich soils. to 3-foot-tall plants are Flowers open from It tolerates drier soils, where it grows more typical. Stems the top of the stem shorter. Seeds can be planted in the fall are green to deep red down. Plants produce or spring. As the seedlings establish, with many fine hairs. 30 to 100 purple- they look like grass blades with a distinct The lance-shaped to-magenta flowers central line. Fall planting allows for lower basal per head, and one to natural stratification over winter, which are 1.5 inches wide 40 heads per stem. breaks seeds’ dormancy. Plants also can and about 8 inches Flowers are described long. Leaves along the as thistle-like, feathery be established from containerized plants stem are alternate; and fluffy. found at native plant nurseries. Or they they’re smaller toward are purple to red, Meadow blazing star’s lower can be divided in the fall. the top of the plant. flattening as they leaves are about 8 inches long. Meadow blazing mature. Photo Credit: BWSR

Similar Species Among the Minnesota inward-folding bracts. similar range in Minnesota, against the flower. The species, rough blazing star Flowers are similar in but grows farther south plant typically grows only () bears the color, but with a more and west in the U.S., 1 to 2 feet tall. Leaves are closest resemblance and distinct stringy style and tolerating drier, sandier shorter and more narrow, shares a similar range. It shorter flower stalks. soils. Its green-to-purple (a quarter-inch across and can be differentiated by Dotted blazing star (Liatris bracts have larger, long 4 inches long), with dots of its green, rounded, and punctata) also shares a white hairs, and stay flat resin and short hairy edges.

From left: Dotted blazing star tolerates drier, sandier soils.

The bracts of rough blazing star are a distinguishing feature.

Photo Credits: Katy Chayka, Minnesota Wildflowers

References http://www.friendsofthewildflowergarden.org https://plants.usda.gov https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info https://www.prairiemoon.com http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org http://www.prairienursery.com https://monarchbutterflygarden.net

Developed by Amy Workman and Dan Shaw

www.bwsr.state.mn.us 2