Prairie Blazing Star (Liatris pycnostachya)
Prairie Blazing Star is a long bloomer that attracts many native bees, butterflies, and skippers. Prairie Blazing Star is native west and south of Michigan and is recommended as a monarch nectar source (Xerces.org) and as a preferred pollinator plant by the Xerces Society (Xerces.org). It is also a host plant to 6 species of butterflies and moths in our area (nwf.org) and a host plant to the specialist bees Melissodes coloradensis and Melissodes vernoniae (Johnson and Colla, 2023). They are often browsed by deer though, so take note.
Prairie Blazing Star is a long bloomer that attracts many native bees, butterflies, and skippers. Prairie Blazing Star is native west and south of Michigan and is recommended as a monarch nectar source (Xerces.org) and as a preferred pollinator plant by the Xerces Society (Xerces.org). It is also a host plant to 6 species of butterflies and moths in our area (nwf.org) and a host plant to the specialist bees Melissodes coloradensis and Melissodes vernoniae (Johnson and Colla, 2023). They are often browsed by deer though, so take note.
Prairie Blazing Star is a long bloomer that attracts many native bees, butterflies, and skippers. Prairie Blazing Star is native west and south of Michigan and is recommended as a monarch nectar source (Xerces.org) and as a preferred pollinator plant by the Xerces Society (Xerces.org). It is also a host plant to 6 species of butterflies and moths in our area (nwf.org) and a host plant to the specialist bees Melissodes coloradensis and Melissodes vernoniae (Johnson and Colla, 2023). They are often browsed by deer though, so take note.
Life Cycle: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full
Soil Moisture: Wet, Medium
Height: 4 feet
Plant Spacing: 1-1.5 feet
Bloom Time: July-September
Bloom Color: Purple
Advantages: Bird Favorite, Pollinator Favorite, Great Landscaping Plant
Host Plant: 6 species of butterflies and moths use this as a caterpillar host plant in our area (nwf.org)
Specialist Bee: Melissodes coloradensis and Melissodes vernoniae (Johnson and Colla, 2023)
Resource: Johnson, Lorraine, and Sheila Colla. A Northern Gardener’s Guide to Native Plants and Pollinators: Creating Habitat in the Northeast, Great Lakes, and Upper Midwest. Island Press, 2023
