Flower profile

Rocky Mountain blazing star

Liatris ligulistylis

Rocky Mountain blazing star (Liatris ligulistylis) is a flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly August–September across the U.S.

Native to North Dakota

Rocky Mountain blazing star is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.

12states where USDA records it

91ND sightings*

966U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: North Dakota

Quick look

Liatris ligulistylis is a flowering plant of the family Asteraceae, native to the central United States and central Canada.
From Wikipedia's article Liatris ligulistylis, 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 12 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to North Dakota. ^NatureServe
iNaturalist has 91 research-grade sightings of it in North Dakota, ranking #74 among the 116 flowers on our North Dakota list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (134 records)

There are only a handful of North Dakota flowering records, so this chart uses records from across the U.S.

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
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.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: CO (S2), WY (S2). (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 Rocky Mountain blazing star in 12 states.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

North Dakota counties with USDA records: Barnes, Benson, Burke, Burleigh, Cass, Cavalier, Dickey, Divide, Dunn, Eddy, Emmons, Foster, Grand Forks, Griggs, Kidder, LaMoure, Logan, McIntosh, McKenzie, McLean, Mountrail, Ramsey, Ransom, Richland, Rolette, Sargent, Sheridan, Stutsman, Walsh, Ward, Wells, Williams.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Lacinaria ligulistylis.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 161 counties across 10 states; the most are in Minnesota (64), North Dakota (32), Wisconsin (19).

Other Liatris on Bloomipedia (4): Dotted gayfeather, Rough blazing star, Prairie blazing star, Scaly 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 North Dakota flowers

Upright prairie coneflower

Ratibida columnifera

Native

🌼 Blooms in ND: June–August

Creeping thistle

Cirsium arvense

Introduced

🌼 Few flowering records in ND

Narrow-leaved purple coneflower

Echinacea angustifolia

Native

🌼 Blooms in ND: June–July

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile LILI.
iNaturalist, Liatris ligulistylis: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Liatris ligulistylis (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
North Dakota: North Dakota state noxious weeds (N.D. Admin. Code 7-06-01-02), as listed by the ND Department of Agriculture.
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Liatris ligulistylis (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: harrier via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.