Prairie gay feather is a perennial native to parts of the central and eastern United States, found in moist meadows and sunny gardens. Its purple flower spikes open from the top downward. It is also called dense blazing star.
Appearance
Growth form
An upright clump grows from rounded and reaches about 3–6 ft (0.9–1.8 m) tall in favorable sites.
Leaves
Narrow, grasslike leaves are crowded near the base and become shorter up the stem. They grow one at a time along the stem and are usually smooth or only slightly hairy.
Flowers
Small purple flower heads pack into a 6–12 in (15–30 cm) spike. The upper heads open first, then flowering moves downward.
Flowering time
In the Greater Appalachian region, wild plants are reported in bloom from July through October.
Fruit
Each flower head produces small brown, seedlike fruits topped with stiff bristles that help them move away from the parent plant.
Check a close photo of the below each flower head. Prairie blazing star has pointed bracts that turn outward and a hairy center stalk of the flower spike; Dense blazing star has mostly rounded bracts held close to the flower head and a nearly hairless center stalk.
Why they get mixed up · Both are tall U.S. natives with long, densely packed purple spikes that bloom from the top down.
Dotted blazing star is usually only 6–34 in (15–85 cm) tall, and its leafy flower spike often blends into the upper stem. Dense blazing star is commonly 3–6 ft (0.9–1.8 m) tall with a longer, more distinct spike.
Why they get mixed up · Both have narrow leaves and dense purple blazing-star flower heads.
Where it lives
Typical habitats
moist meadows
marsh edges
open prairies
rain gardens
Range
It is native to parts of the central and eastern United States.
Preferred conditions
Grow it in full sun to light shade and average to moist, well-drained soil. It handles summer heat and humidity but generally wants more moisture than many other blazing stars.
Flowering
Flowers Jul–Oct
JFMAMJJASOND
Flowers
Flowers Jul–Oct
Growing it
Propagation
It is usually propagated by seed or by dividing the corms.
Connected species
Ties with other wildlife
In North America it is a for the Liatris flower moth and Liatris borer moth.
Pollinators
The flowers provide late-summer nectar for bees and butterflies. Leaving 12–24 in (30–60 cm) of dead hollow stems standing through winter can offer nesting space for native bees.