Liatris punctata, Dotted Blazing Star


Wispier, more open flowers (for a Liatris) and flatter bracts than its cousins.
 
Dotted Blazing Star is the star of the sand prairie in your life. That doesn't mean you cannot plant Liatris aspera (see below) in a sand prairie, just that Dotted does it so well. It is also one of the shortest of Blazing Stars, which makes sense given that the super well-drained, lean soils of sand plains leads to shorter plants across that habitat.

Blooms: magenta-purple, late July into September

Height: 12 to 24 inches

Conditions: sun, medium-dry to dry, sandy or gravelly soils

 The Four Liatris...