Liatris squarrosa (L.) Michx.

Scaly Blazing Star; Scaly Gayfeather; Loose Scale Gayfeather

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Scaly Blazing Star is a native herbaceous perennial in the Sunflower family (Asteraceae). It occurs throughout Alabama. Scaly Blazing Star can be found in Longleaf Pine forests, in mixed pine-oak forests, in prairies, on chalk or limestone outcrops, in scrub oak woods, around rock outcrops, and along roadsides and forest edges. It is a perennial from a globose corm. Each corm produces 1 or more upright stems 1-2 feet in height. The stems are green in color and pubescent with appressed hairs. Leaves are basal and cauline. The leaves are alternate, sessile, linear in outline, pubescent, and gland dotted. They have entire margins. The leaves are reduced in size gradually upwards along the stem. Flowers are produced in heads. The heads are solitary or up to 20 in terminal spikes or racemes. The flower heads are subtended by 5-7 whorls of large, foliaceous, triangular to ovate phyllaries. The tips of the phyllaries are spreading to reflexed. They are green or purple in color. Each head has 20-60 pink-purple disc flowers. The fruit is an achene with a crown of plumose (feather-like) pappus. Scaly Blazing Star is highly variable, and several varieties have been described based on pubescence, presence or absence of peduncles, and shape and number of phyllaries. Scaly Blazing Star is available as seed or “bulbs” (corms) from some wildflower nurseries. It prefers a well-draining soil in full sun.--A. Diamond

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Native

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