2021 February Featured

Dotted blazing star ( punctata) STATEWIDE WETLAND Family: Aster INDICATOR STATUS: None () ID: Circular, rose-to-purple DESCRIPTION: Grouped in spiky flower heads are composed clusters, rose-to-purple flower of three to eight disk flowers. heads bloom from the top Bracts have long, white hairs along the edges. Dotted resin down. grow 1 to 2 feet covers the lance-shaped tall; grasslike leaves grow up to leaves, which are shorter 4 inches long. One plant can near the top of the plant, and contain many upright stems and edged with short white hairs. several flower heads that open from July to September. Found SIMILAR SPECIES: The throughout much of Minnesota’s number of disk flowers and characteristics of bracts help region, dotted blazing to distinguish blazing stars that star provides pollinator habitat. grow in dry . Rough blazing star (Liatris aspera) USES: A rich source has 25 to 40 disk flowers with for monarchs, flowers attract round bracts. Mainly found in insects including other southeastern Minnesota, the butterfly species, hoverflies shortest native species, cylindric and native bees. Blazing stars blazing star (Liatris cylindracea), are hosts for two types of has brown to purple bracts flower moths. An attractive and tubular flowers with addition to gardens with sandy antennalike protrusions soils, the flowers also add coming from the center. interest to floral arrangements. REFERENCES: Historically, the plant was used Minnesota Wild lowers to reduce swelling and treat Photo Credit: Prairie Moon Nursery Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center stomachaches. Planting Recommendations Dotted blazing star flourishes in full sun corms can be divided in spring or fall, and and sandy soils. In prairies or roadsides, it then replanted. Dotted blazing star has is often found on south-facing slopes. This a high fire tolerance, and a controlled perennial may be started from seed or burn can expand its population. Seeds grown from containers available at native are a good option to include in pollinator plant nurseries. Because seeds need meadow and prairie restoration mixes. cold, moist stratification to germinate, Container plantings work well in native it’s easiest to broadcast them by hand, pocket gardens. Complementary native Range Map Credit: NRCS Plants Database and then lightly rake them into the soil plants include prairie dropseed grass in late fall. Be patient; blazing stars tend (Sporobolus heterolepis), hoary vervain Developed by Jenna Benson, a College of St. Benedict to grow only a couple of inches the first (Verbena stricta), pale purple coneflower junior pursuing a degree in year while roots develop. Those roots can (Echinacea pallida) and prairie Junegrass environmental studies. grow nearly 3 feet long. The underground (Koeleria macrantha).

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