Appalachian blazing star
Liatris squarrulosa Michx.
Appalachian blazing star is a perennial whose underground stem forms a rounded corm. Its flowering shoots commonly reach about twenty-five to eighty centimetres, occasionally taller. In North Carolina, the many heads can weigh the stems into a leaning posture, with short-stalked heads facing sideways along the flowering shoot. Flora of North America: Liatris squarrulosaVascular Plants of North Carolina: Liatris squarrulosa
Botanical name
Kew accepts Liatris squarrulosa Michx. The species-level account follows that treatment; regional floras note substantial variation within it. Kew POWO: Liatris squarrulosaFlora of North America: Liatris squarrulosa
Recognizing the plant
The basal and lower stem leaves are broadest toward their tips, with a single main vein. They become much smaller farther up the stem. Around each head, several overlapping rows of bracts spread outward or bend backward, although their posture varies. Flora of North America records eleven to twenty-six florets in a head and finely barbed bristles on the fruits. Flora of North America: Liatris squarrulosa
Seasonal development
North Carolina
The state flora records flowering and fruiting from late August through October. Vascular Plants of North Carolina: Liatris squarrulosa
Native range
It is native to central and eastern parts of the United States. Habitats include pine and oak-hickory woods, prairies and rocky ridges. North Carolina populations occupy both sandy longleaf-pine woodlands and higher-pH glades or woodland soils farther inland. Kew POWO: Liatris squarrulosaFlora of North America: Liatris squarrulosaVascular Plants of North Carolina: Liatris squarrulosa
Botanical sources
- Kew POWO: Liatris squarrulosa
- Flora of North America: Liatris squarrulosa
- Vascular Plants of North Carolina: Liatris squarrulosa
Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.