{"product_id":"blazing-star-liatris-spicata","title":"Blazing Star (Liatris spicata)","description":"\u003ch2\u003eBlazing Star \u003cem\u003e(Liatris spicata)\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eBlazing Star is the prairie's purple torch — its tall, dense spikes of magenta-purple flowers rising above the summer prairie like flames, opening from the top down in a bloom sequence that defies botanical convention and creates weeks of continuous color. It is one of the most beloved native wildflowers in North America, and in the Louisiana prairie, it is a monarch magnet of the first order.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBotanical Profile\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFamily:\u003c\/strong\u003e Asteraceae (Daisy family)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNative Range:\u003c\/strong\u003e Eastern North America from Ontario to Florida and west to Wisconsin and Louisiana; native to Louisiana's wet prairies, meadows, and open woodlands\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eUSDA Hardiness Zones:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3–8\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMature Size:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2–4 feet tall\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBloom Time:\u003c\/strong\u003e July–September (opens top to bottom — unusual in the plant world)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSun:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full sun\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil:\u003c\/strong\u003e Moist to average; tolerates clay and periodic wet conditions; grows from a corm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003ePrairie Movement \u0026amp; Ecological Role\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eBlazing Star is one of the top five native plants for monarch butterflies in the Eastern U.S. — its late-summer bloom coinciding precisely with the monarch's southward migration through Louisiana. It also supports bumblebees, native sweat bees, and specialist \u003cem\u003eLiatris\u003c\/em\u003e bees. Its seeds are consumed by American Goldfinches, which cling to the spent flower heads through fall. The plant grows from a corm — a starchy underground storage organ — that was used by Indigenous peoples as a food source and in medicinal preparations for sore throats and kidney ailments.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eIn the Prairie Movement Strip\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003ePart of the \u003cem\u003ePrairie Movement Strip | Wind, Pollinators \u0026amp; Motion\u003c\/em\u003e collection at Big Mamou Enterprises, Blazing Star is the prairie strip's purple exclamation point — tall, bold, and irresistible to monarchs and bumblebees alike.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Big Mamou Enterprises","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49765832818928,"sku":null,"price":19.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0824\/7171\/5056\/files\/image_8570a59d-0dd0-4c7b-ba2b-a290feb0cb76.png?v=1779811195","url":"https:\/\/realtimecajun.com\/products\/blazing-star-liatris-spicata","provider":"Big Mamou Enterprises","version":"1.0","type":"link"}