Liatris spicata (L.) Willd.
Gay feather, blazing star, dense blazing star
Dense blazing star is named for its tall spikes of pink-purple flowers. It is a member of the aster family.
Plants: 1–5′ (30–152 cm) high.
Leaves: Narrow, grass-like, more dense near the bottom of the plant, up to 12 ⨉ ¾″ (30 ⨉ 2 cm).
Flowers: The striking flower spikes are up to 12″ (30 cm) tall. Petals are threadlike tubes, each pointed randomly. Flowerheads look a little similar to purple loosestrife from a distance, but up close, flower spikes and leaves are very different. Flowers are sessile, rounded, fluffy, and an attractive deep purple color. They contain 4-10 disc florets and no ray florets, and are ¼–½″ (8.5–12 mm) in size. Flowers appear during the summer.
Fruits: Cypselae (a type of achene) with stiff light brown bristles in fall.
Habitats: Dry, sandy fields, dunes, abandoned roads, and railroad embankments.
Online References:
1/5/2026 · By Jacquelyn Boyt 
8/17/2014 · Bald Mountain, Franconia Notch Area, White Mountains, New Hampshire · ≈ 6 × 8″ (14 × 20 cm) 
8/17/2014 · Bald Mountain, Franconia Notch Area, White Mountains, New Hampshire · ≈ 5 × 7″ (13 × 19 cm) 
8/17/2014 · Bald Mountain, Franconia Notch Area, White Mountains, New Hampshire · ≈ 6 × 9″ (16 × 22 cm) 
8/12/2017 · Bates Land and Blackman Land, Groton Conservation Trust, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 4 × 6″ (11 × 14 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Asteridae | A large class that encompasses asters |
| Order | Asterales | Flowering plants with a central disk flower and surrounding petals, like daisies |
| Family | Asteraceae | The aster family, which also includes daisies and sunflowers; from the Greek ἀστήρ, “star,” for the star-shaped flowers |
| Genus | Liatris | A very old name, meaning lost |
| Species | spicata | “Spiked” |
Liatris spicata description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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