Parcel
No. 9$4.50 Rough Blazing Star
Illustration of the No. 9 Rough Blazing Star seed packet: a kraft envelope with the Missouri Native Series stamp label and a SOW DEC–FEB postmark on the front, and the growing directions and label details on the back.
The packet

No. 9 in the Missouri Native Series

Rough Blazing Star

Liatris aspera

Missouri Native Series No. 9. Rosy-purple spikes August–October that monarchs and swallowtails crowd onto. Slow from seed, worth it.

$4.50packet

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  • Missouri native seed, packed for 2027
  • Postmarked to sow December to February, outdoors (winter sowing)
  • Grow Guarantee: if it doesn't come up after you follow the guide, we'll send a replacement

Late summer belongs to the blazing stars. Rough blazing star sends up tall spikes of fluffy, rosy-purple buttons from August into October, and monarchs, swallowtails, skippers and bees crowd onto them. The Missouri Department of Conservation calls monarchs a famous example of its visitors.

It grows wild in prairies and glades across most of Missouri. It’s a slow starter: seedlings spend a few years building a thick, sweet rootstock before the first big bloom, and voles love that rootstock as much as butterflies love the flowers. Worth the wait.

It needs a long winter chill, so it’s a natural for winter sowing. Each packet is hand-filled in St. Charles County, Missouri.

Good to know

  • Slow from seed. First flowers often take 2–5 years.
  • Voles eat the rootstocks, and rabbits and deer browse the leaves.

How to grow

  1. Pick the spot. Full sun and soil that drains well.
  2. Sow early in winter. Between November and February (the earlier the better, for a full 60-day chill), sow on bare, weed-free soil or in a winter-sowing jug and cover lightly, about 1/8 inch. See our winter sowing guide.
  3. Or use the fridge. Chill the seed in damp sand for 60 days, then sow after the last frost (mid-April in St. Charles County). Here’s the fridge method.
  4. Protect young plants. Rabbits and deer browse the leaves. A wire cage over seedlings helps in the first years.
  5. Wait for it. Expect only leaves for a year or two while the rootstock grows. The flower spikes are worth it.

Good neighbors

Species from the series that grow well alongside Rough Blazing Star:

Questions

How long until it blooms?

Prairie Moon says rough blazing star often takes 2 to 5 years to bloom from seed, depending on conditions. It spends those years building its rootstock.

Do monarchs visit it?

Yes. The Missouri Department of Conservation names monarchs as a famous example of the butterflies that visit blazing stars, along with skippers, bees and many other insects.

Something is eating my plants. What is it?

Likely rabbits, woodchucks or deer on the leaves, or voles on the roots. MDC lists all four. Wire cages help while plants are young.

Is it the same as the blazing star sold in garden centers?

Several Liatris species are sold as “blazing star.” Rough blazing star (Liatris aspera, which Prairie Moon calls button blazing star) is the late-blooming one with rounded, fluffy flower heads that grows wild across most of Missouri. Check the botanical name.

Sources for these facts