Flower profile

Prairie blazing star

Liatris pycnostachya

Prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya) is a flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly July–August across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Prairie blazing star is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 3 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in July–August.

22states where USDA records it

3Bloomipedia state lists include it

6,823U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri

Quick look

Liatris pycnostachya, the prairie blazing star, cattail gayfeather, Kansas gayfeather, or cattail blazing star, is a perennial plant in the Asteraceae family that is native to the tallgrass prairies of the central United States.
From Wikipedia's article Liatris pycnostachya, 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 22 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Missouri, Arkansas and Kansas. ^NatureServe
In Arkansas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–July. ^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 3.5 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 735 research-grade sightings of it in Missouri, ranking #89 among the 177 flowers on our Missouri list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 647 research-grade sightings of it in Arkansas, ranking #79 among the 170 flowers on our Arkansas list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 331 research-grade sightings of it in Kansas, ranking #79 among the 151 flowers on our Kansas list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (746 records)

Bloom time in the 3 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Missouri	Native	few records (33)	735
Arkansas	Native	June–July	647
Kansas	Native	few records (7)	331

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
Missouri: Not listed Not on Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Missouri. ^{3 CSR 10-4.111}
Arkansas: No list Arkansas has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Arkansas ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arkansas.
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.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: IN (S1), SD (S1). (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 edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 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 prairie blazing star in 22 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin.

Missouri counties with USDA records: Adair, Audrain, Barton, Bates, Benton, Boone, Caldwell, Callaway, Camden, Carroll, Carter, Cass, Cedar, Chariton, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Crawford, Dade, Dallas, Daviess, Franklin, Greene, Grundy, Harrison, Henry, Hickory, Howell, Iron, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Laclede, Lawrence, Lincoln, Linn, Livingston, Macon, Madison, Marion, McDonald, Mercer, Moniteau, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Newton, Nodaway, Oregon, Pettis, Phelps, Pike, Polk, Pulaski, Ralls, Randolph, Reynolds, Ripley, Schuyler, Scotland, Shannon, Shelby, St. Clair, St. Francois, St. Louis, Sullivan, Vernon, Warren, Webster, Worth, Wright.

Arkansas counties with USDA records: Arkansas, Ashley, Benton, Boone, Bradley, Clark, Cleburne, Cleveland, Columbia, Conway, Craighead, Dallas, Drew, Faulkner, Franklin, Grant, Hempstead, Hot Spring, Izard, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lawrence, Logan, Lonoke, Madison, Mississippi, Monroe, Montgomery, Ouachita, Perry, Pike, Poinsett, Polk, Pope, Prairie, Pulaski, Randolph, Saline, Searcy, Sebastian, St. Francis, Union, Washington, Yell.

Kansas counties with USDA records: Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Brown, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Clay, Coffey, Cowley, Crawford, Douglas, Elk, Franklin, Greenwood, Harvey, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Labette, Leavenworth, Linn, Lyon, Marshall, Miami, Montgomery, Nemaha, Neosho, Osage, Pottawatomie, Reno, Rice, Riley, Shawnee, Stafford, Wilson, Woodson.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Prairie blazing star a high shade tolerance, low drought tolerance and medium moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 6.0 to 7.8 and winter lows down to -23 °F.

Shade tolerance: High
Drought tolerance: Low
Moisture use: Medium
Soil textures it is adapted to: coarse, medium, fine
Soil pH range: 6.0 to 7.8
Minimum temperature tolerated: -23 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 120
Annual precipitation range: 16 to 26 inches
Minimum root depth: 14 inches
Salinity tolerance: Low
Fertility requirement: Medium
Growth rate: Moderate
Lifespan: Moderate
Active growth period: Summer
Fruit or seed: Brown · Summer to Fall
Can be propagated by: corm, seed
Commercial availability: Routinely Available

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for LIPY. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 468 counties across 21 states; the most are in Illinois (74), Missouri (73), Minnesota (54).

Other Liatris on Bloomipedia (4): Dotted gayfeather, Rough blazing star, Scaly blazing star, Rocky Mountain blazing star.

More from the Asteraceae family (212 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Common yarrow, Goldenrods, White snakeroot, Sunflowers, Chicory, Black-eyed Susan, Bull thistle, Common dandelion.

More Missouri flowers

White snakeroot

Ageratina altissima

Native

🌼 Blooms in MO: September–October

Chicory

Cichorium intybus

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in MO: June–September

Wingstem

Verbesina alternifolia

Native

🌼 Blooms in MO: August–September

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile LIPY.
iNaturalist, Liatris pycnostachya: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Liatris pycnostachya (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Missouri: Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants.
Missouri: Missouri noxious weed list (2 CSR 70-45.005).
Arkansas: Arkansas State Plant Board noxious weeds and prohibited plants (2 CAR § 50-101).
Kansas: Kansas noxious weeds (K.A.R. 4-8-44, as amended 2026).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Liatris pycnostachya (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Michelle W. （鍾偉瑋） via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.