Rough Blazing Star  (Liatris aspera) matures to 3' in height and has purple flowers. This plant prefers medium to dry soil conditions and will bloom for many weeks in the months of July to October.  It grows best in full sun but can tolerate a fair amount of shade. Tolerant of poor soils, drought, summer heat and humidity, Rough Blazing Star is intolerant of wet soils in winter. It features rounded, fluffy, deep rose-purple flower heads (each 3/4" across) which are crowded into long, terminal flower spikes atop erect, rigid, leafy flower stalks. Stalks arise from basal tufts of rough, very narrow, lance-shaped leaves (to 12" long). Flowers open somewhat at the same time, which makes this species a particularly good fresh cut flower for floral arrangements.
Butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees are greatly attracted to the flowers of Liatris aspera. Like all Liatris species, Rough Blazing Star is great in flower arrangements both as fresh and dried as the flowers keep their purple color.  Many insects visit the flowers of Liatris aspera including honeybees, bumblebees, Little Carpenter bees, Miner bees, and Leaf-Cutting bees. Butterfly visitors include Monarchs, Painted Ladies, Black Swallowtails, Sulfurs, and more.
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