Rough Blazing Star (Liatris aspera) is a tall, upright native perennial known for its bold spikes of fluffy purple flowers that bloom from late summer into fall. A reliable favorite in prairies, meadows, and pollinator gardens, this drought-tolerant plant provides essential nectar for monarchs, swallowtails, native bees, and hummingbirds when many other plants have stopped blooming. Its blooms are followed by seed heads that offer food for goldfinches and other songbirds, adding even more ecological value to your landscape.

Rough Blazing Star thrives in dry, well-drained soils and requires little maintenance once established. With its dramatic form and late-season color, it’s an ideal choice for gardeners looking to extend their bloom season and support wildlife.

Key Features:

• Supports Pollinators: An important late-season nectar source for butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds
• Visual Appeal: Bold purple flower spikes add height and visual interest to garden beds and meadows
• Drought-Tolerant: Drought-tolerant and thrives in sandy or rocky soils with full sun exposure
• Bird-Friendly: Produces seed heads in fall that attract birds, including goldfinches
• Deer-Resistant: Naturally deer resistant 
• Pollinator-Safe: Grown non-GMO and free of harmful neonicotinoids, promoting a healthy ecosystem for pollinators and wildlife.

Available in sets of three, six, or 12 plants to suit gardens of any size.

Planting Tips:

1. Location: Plant in a location that receives full sun and has well-drained soil. 
2. Watering: Water regularly during the first growing season to help the plant establish a strong root system. Once established, Rough Blazing Star is highly drought-tolerant and requires minimal care. 
3. Maintenance: Minimal care required. There's no need to deadhead the flowers, as allowing them to go to seed provides a valuable food source for birds. Leaving the stems standing in the fall offers overwintering sites for beneficial insects. If desired, cut back the stems in late spring after pollinators have emerged. 

For more information on planting, view our How to Plant Your Native Plants guide and other planting tips in the Garden for Wildlife Learning Center. 

Add Rough Blazing Star to your landscape to bring color, height, and life to your garden while supporting critical pollinators and birds through the end of the growing season.

Shipping Range:

• IA
• IL
• IN
• KS
• KY
• MI
• MN
• MO
• ND
• NE
• NY
• OH
• OK
• SD
• TN
• WI

Zip Code Verification: Our plants are grown regionally to thrive where you live and help local wildlife. Confirm availability for your area using the zip code checker near the add to cart button above.

Returns: Due to the nature of our products, we are unable to offer order cancellations, returns or exchanges. In order to guarantee your satisfaction, all plants are covered by our 365-Day Plant Guarantee.

*To ensure your plants arrive healthy, we may delay shipments to certain areas during times of extreme temperatures, natural disasters, or other conditions that will impact the plants during transit

Sizing: At the time of shipment, our plants have a developed root mass and emerging foliage around 4-8” high.

Recommended container sizes (in width) for container planting:

• 24 In
• 36 In
• 48 In