Flower profile

Rough blazing star

Liatris aspera

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

Native in the lower 48

Rough blazing star is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 4 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in August–September.

27states where USDA records it

4Bloomipedia state lists include it

8,762U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Kansas, Minnesota, South Dakota, Wisconsin

Quick look

Liatris aspera is a perennial wildflower in the Asteraceae family that is found in central to eastern North America in habitats that range from mesic to dry prairie and dry savanna.
From Wikipedia's article Liatris aspera, 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 27 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kansas and South Dakota. ^NatureServe
In Wisconsin, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–September. ^iNaturalist
In Minnesota, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in August–September. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,917 research-grade sightings of it in Wisconsin, ranking #77 among the 161 flowers on our Wisconsin list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,660 research-grade sightings of it in Minnesota, ranking #78 among the 152 flowers on our Minnesota list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 293 research-grade sightings of it in Kansas, ranking #95 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”) (799 records)

Bloom time in the 4 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Wisconsin	Native	July–September	1,917
Minnesota	Native	August–September	1,660
Kansas	Native	few records (7)	293
South Dakota	Native	few records (7)	152

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G4 Apparently secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Wisconsin: Not listed Not on Wisconsin endangered and threatened species list (Wis. Admin. Code NR 27.03). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Wisconsin. ^{NR 27.03}
Minnesota: Not listed Not on Minnesota endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Minn. R. 6134.0300). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Minnesota. ^{Minn. R. 6134.0300}
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: S5, secure in Kansas.
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.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: NC (S1), SC (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 rough blazing star in 27 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

Wisconsin counties with USDA records: Adams, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Jackson, Jefferson, Kenosha, La Crosse, Lafayette, Langlade, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Sawyer, Shawano, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Trempealeau, Vernon, Walworth, Washburn, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago, Wood.

Minnesota counties with USDA records: Anoka, Becker, Benton, Big Stone, Blue Earth, Brown, Cass, Chippewa, Chisago, Clay, Clearwater, Cottonwood, Crow Wing, Dakota, Douglas, Faribault, Fillmore, Goodhue, Grant, Hennepin, Houston, Hubbard, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Kittson, Lac qui Parle, Le Sueur, Lincoln, Lyon, Mahnomen, Martin, McLeod, Morrison, Mower, Murray, Nobles, Norman, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Pine, Pipestone, Polk, Pope, Ramsey, Renville, Rice, Rock, Roseau, Sherburne, Sibley, Stearns, Swift, Todd, Wabasha, Wadena, Washington, Wilkin, Winona, Wright.

Kansas counties with USDA records: Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Bourbon, Brown, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Cowley, Crawford, Doniphan, Douglas, Elk, Franklin, Greenwood, Harvey, Jackson, Jefferson, Jewell, Johnson, Labette, Leavenworth, Linn, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Miami, Montgomery, Morris, Nemaha, Neosho, Osage, Pottawatomie, Republic, Riley, Saline, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Wabaunsee, Washington, Wilson, Woodson.

Names, range and relatives

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

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 692 counties across 26 states; the most are in Missouri (98), Illinois (86), Minnesota (59).

Other Liatris on Bloomipedia (4): Dotted gayfeather, Prairie 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 Wisconsin flowers

White snakeroot

Ageratina altissima

Native

🌼 Blooms in WI: August–September

Common yarrow

Achillea millefolium

Native

🌼 Blooms in WI: June–July

Black-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia hirta

★ MD state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms in WI: June–August

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile LIAS.
iNaturalist, Liatris aspera: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Liatris aspera (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Wisconsin: Wisconsin endangered and threatened species list (Wis. Admin. Code NR 27.03).
Wisconsin: Wisconsin invasive species rule (Wis. Admin. Code NR 40.04 prohibited, NR 40.05 restricted).
Minnesota: Minnesota endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Minn. R. 6134.0300).
Minnesota: Minnesota Noxious Weed List (Minn. Stat. § 18.79; Minnesota Department of Agriculture, updated January 2026).
Kansas: Kansas noxious weeds (K.A.R. 4-8-44, as amended 2026).
South Dakota: South Dakota statewide noxious weeds (ARSD 12:62:03:01.06).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Liatris aspera (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Chris Stahl via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.