Liatris aspera
Origin: Central and Eastern North America
Improvement status: Wild
Seeds per packet: ~100
BOTANICAL SAMPLE - NOT GERMINATION TESTED (Wild harvested, Fall 2025)
Life cycle: Perennial
Liatris aspera, which has the common names Button Blazing Star and also Rough Blazing Star, is an herbaceous native perennial wildflower. It grows three feet tall and will be covered in beautiful purple flowers for extended weeks starting in July and going through October. Button Blazing Star is a magnet for all kinds of butterflies, native bees, and many other pollinator species, and at its peak flowering it is really a sight to behold.
Its native range spans into the eastern United States but is primarily in the middle of the country, from Minnesota down to Texas. It is a prairie plant that prefers medium to dry, well-drained soils, and will do best in full sun but can also handle some shade.
Button Blazing Star would be a great addition to your native pollinator planting. So fantastic for insects, but its beauty is on the level of an ornamental.
Our seed comes from our friend Bonnie in Winona, Minnesota, who is a talented forager and wildcrafter, and very familiar with the flora of the Driftless region. This seed was harvested wild in the Winona area.
GROWING TIPS: Seeds need to be cold/moist stratified for 60 days prior to germinating them. Dampen a heavier duty paper towel, wrap seeds in it, put in ziploc bag, and place in fridge.
NOTE: The first image is by Kristine Paulus and is shared under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 license. The second image is by Edward K. Boggess and is a public domain photo. The third image is by Joshua Mayer and shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 license. The fourth image is Mike Budd and is a public domain photo.
