Flower profile

Dotted gayfeather

Liatris punctata

Native in the lower 48

Dotted gayfeather is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 7 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in July–October.

20states

7of our state lists

13,449U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota

Quick look

Liatris punctata is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common names dotted gayfeather, dotted blazingstar, and narrow-leaved blazingstar. It is native to North America, where it occurs throughout the plains of central Canada, the central United States, and northern Mexico.
From Wikipedia's article Liatris punctata, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Asteraceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 20 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
In Colorado, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–September. ^iNaturalist
In Oklahoma, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in September–October. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as purple. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as mid summer. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 2 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 4,740 research-grade sightings of it in Colorado, ranking #23 among the 110 flowers on our Colorado list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 568 research-grade sightings of it in Oklahoma, ranking #57 among the 110 flowers on our Oklahoma list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 555 research-grade sightings of it in Montana, ranking #79 among the 109 flowers on our Montana list. ^iNaturalist

Dotted gayfeather gift ideas

Handmade dotted gayfeather gifts from independent makers.

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (663 records)

Bloom time in each of our 7 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Colorado	Native	July–September	4,740
Oklahoma	Native	September–October	568
Montana	Native	few records	555
Kansas	Native	few records	461
North Dakota	Native	July–September	379
South Dakota	Native	few records	341
Nebraska	Native	few records	226

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Colorado: No list Colorado has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Colorado ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Colorado.
Oklahoma: No list Oklahoma has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Oklahoma ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oklahoma.
Montana: No list Montana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Montana ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Montana.
Kansas: No list Kansas's endangered and threatened list (K.A.R. 115-15-1) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's Kansas ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Kansas.
North Dakota: No list North Dakota has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's North Dakota ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in North Dakota.
South Dakota: No list South Dakota's endangered and threatened list (ARSD 41:10:02) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's South Dakota ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in South Dakota.
Nebraska: Not listed Not on Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Nebraska. ^{163 NAC 4-004}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: LA (S1), MI (SX). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records dotted gayfeather in 20 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Colorado counties with USDA records: Baca, Bent, Boulder, Cheyenne, Denver, Douglas, El Paso, Fremont, Huerfano, Jefferson, Kit Carson, Larimer, Las Animas, Lincoln, Logan, Otero, Pueblo, Saguache, Sedgwick, Teller, Washington, Weld, Yuma.

Oklahoma counties with USDA records: Alfalfa, Atoka, Beckham, Bryan, Caddo, Carter, Cimarron, Cleveland, Comanche, Creek, Custer, Ellis, Garfield, Grady, Greer, Harmon, Harper, Haskell, Jackson, Johnston, Kay, Kingfisher, Kiowa, Logan, Love, Major, Marshall, Mayes, McClain, McCurtain, Murray, Muskogee, Oklahoma, Osage, Payne, Pittsburg, Roger Mills, Rogers, Stephens, Texas, Tulsa, Woods.

Montana counties with USDA records: Big Horn, Blaine, Broadwater, Carbon, Carter, Cascade, Chouteau, Custer, Daniels, Dawson, Fergus, Gallatin, Garfield, Glacier, Golden Valley, Hill, Jefferson, Judith Basin, Lewis and Clark, Liberty, McCone, Meagher, Musselshell, Park, Petroleum, Phillips, Powder River, Powell, Prairie, Richland, Roosevelt, Rosebud, Sheridan, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Teton, Toole, Treasure, Valley, Wheatland, Wibaux, Yellowstone.

More Colorado flowers

Common yarrow

Achillea millefolium

Native

🌼 Blooms in CO: June–September

White snakeroot

Ageratina altissima

Native

🌼 Blooms: August–October

Sunflowers

Helianthus

★ KS state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms: June–October

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile LIPU.
iNaturalist, Liatris punctata: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Liatris punctata (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Colorado: Colorado noxious weed lists A, B and C (8 CCR 1206-2, eff. May 15, 2025).
Oklahoma: Oklahoma Noxious Weed Law (2 O.S. § 3-220).
Montana: Montana noxious weed list (Admin. R. Mont. 4.5.206–4.5.210).
Kansas: Kansas noxious weeds (K.A.R. 4-8-44, as amended 2026).
North Dakota: North Dakota state noxious weeds (N.D. Admin. Code 7-06-01-02), as listed by the ND Department of Agriculture.
South Dakota: South Dakota statewide noxious weeds (ARSD 12:62:03:01.06).
Nebraska: Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004).
Nebraska: Nebraska noxious weeds (25 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 10, § 001.02).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Liatris punctata (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Mark G via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.