Search Plants
Try for Free
English
About
Key Facts
Distribution
How To Care
All Species
More Genus
Gay feathers (Liatris)
Add color to your garden from spring through fall with the beauty of gay feathers. The lovely green foliage erupts in flowers that bloom from top to bottom, a shift from the traditional bottom-to-top blooming of many flowering stalks. Blossoms are long-lasting and occur from summer to fall. Gay feathers are important food sources for the caterpillars of many moths and butterflies.
Lifespan
Perennial
Plant Type
Herb/Vine
Key Facts About Gay feathers
Feedback
Attributes of Gay feathers
Leaf type
Deciduous
Ideal Temperature
15 - 38 ℃
Scientific Classification of Gay feathers
Distribution of Gay feathers
Feedback
Distribution Map of Gay feathers
Native
Cultivated
Invasive
Potentially invasive
Exotic
No species reported
How to Grow and Care for Gay feathers
Feedback
Gay feathers is a popular genus loved for its spiked flowers and hardy nature. Basic care involves full or partial sun, well-drained soil and a moderate water requirement. It favors temperatures of around 60-70°F. Gay feathers, however, is susceptible to rust diseases and wilt, and pests like aphids. Seasonally, it needs mulching in winter for protection, and is best divided in spring or early autumn. Notoriously easy to grow, but attention to these factors will ensure a healthy gay feathers growth.
Exploring the Gay feathers Plants
Feedback
8 most common species：
Dense blazing star
Dense blazing star (Liatris spicata) is a flowering plant native to eastern North America. It comes from the same genetic family as sunflowers and daisies. The dense blazing star is a popular choice for a variety of pollinators, such as bees and butterflies. These plants have rather exacting demands on the soil, but benefit the local ecosystem by attracting scores of pollinating insects.
Prairie blazing star
Tall fuzzy-looking flowers set this perennial wildflower, prairie blazing star apart from others. It’s pretty pink and purple blooms appear in late summer. This flower is often grown as an ornamental and is drought tolerant and attractive to butterflies. The seeds are easy to collect and store, but scarification is needed to make the seeds germinate.
Dotted Gayfeather
Dotted Gayfeather (Liatris punctata) has a deep root system—the better to protect it in the sweltering, arid habitats it likes to grow in. Having rhizomes buried deep in the ground helps to make this plant exceedingly drought-tolerant. Its beautiful pinkish-lavender flowers make an appearance in late summer.
Rough blazing star
Rough blazing star is a pollinator paradise. Its late-season purple-tufted blooms attract monarch butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees. This perennial thrives in dry soils, making it a great choice for rock gardens. It has short, stiff hairs on its stem, giving rise to both its common and Latin names, as "aspera" is Latin for "rough."
Cusp blazing star
Cusp blazing star boasts a dizzying array of alternative names, including Texas gayfeather, bottlebrush cusp blazing star, narrow-leaf cusp blazing star, and Texas cusp blazing star. Its seeds provide food for migrating birds. Additionally, it is exceedingly drought-resistant and stands up to summer's sweltering heat like few others.
Rocky mountain blazing star
Rocky mountain blazing star (Liatris ligulistylis) is a type of aster found in the central United States and Canada. It sprouts large leaves near the ground and smaller ones higher up. A single stalk may produce as many as 21 flowers at a time. Rocky mountain blazing star's complex flowers are frequented by monarch butterflies and bleeding flower moths.
Scaly blazing star
Scaly blazing star (Liatris squarrosa) is a perennial wildflower that grows in dry, rocky savanna and prairie regions. These plants can be found throughout the central and eastern United States. The variant most common in the east has hairy stems and leaves, while on the Great Plains the plants are hairless.
Elegant gayfeather
This short-lived perennial grows in the southern United States. It's cultivated as a garden plant in warm climates. Elegant gayfeather loves sunny sites, slightly acidic soil, and it attracts various types of butterflies.
All Species of Gay feathers
Dense blazing star
Dense blazing star
Dense blazing star (Liatris spicata) is a flowering plant native to eastern North America. It comes from the same genetic family as sunflowers and daisies. The dense blazing star is a popular choice for a variety of pollinators, such as bees and butterflies. These plants have rather exacting demands on the soil, but benefit the local ecosystem by attracting scores of pollinating insects.
Prairie blazing star
Prairie blazing star
Tall fuzzy-looking flowers set this perennial wildflower, prairie blazing star apart from others. It’s pretty pink and purple blooms appear in late summer. This flower is often grown as an ornamental and is drought tolerant and attractive to butterflies. The seeds are easy to collect and store, but scarification is needed to make the seeds germinate.
Dotted Gayfeather
Dotted Gayfeather
Dotted Gayfeather (Liatris punctata) has a deep root system—the better to protect it in the sweltering, arid habitats it likes to grow in. Having rhizomes buried deep in the ground helps to make this plant exceedingly drought-tolerant. Its beautiful pinkish-lavender flowers make an appearance in late summer.
Rough blazing star
Rough blazing star
Rough blazing star is a pollinator paradise. Its late-season purple-tufted blooms attract monarch butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees. This perennial thrives in dry soils, making it a great choice for rock gardens. It has short, stiff hairs on its stem, giving rise to both its common and Latin names, as "aspera" is Latin for "rough."
Cusp blazing star
Cusp blazing star
Cusp blazing star boasts a dizzying array of alternative names, including Texas gayfeather, bottlebrush cusp blazing star, narrow-leaf cusp blazing star, and Texas cusp blazing star. Its seeds provide food for migrating birds. Additionally, it is exceedingly drought-resistant and stands up to summer's sweltering heat like few others.
Rocky mountain blazing star
Rocky mountain blazing star
Rocky mountain blazing star (Liatris ligulistylis) is a type of aster found in the central United States and Canada. It sprouts large leaves near the ground and smaller ones higher up. A single stalk may produce as many as 21 flowers at a time. Rocky mountain blazing star's complex flowers are frequented by monarch butterflies and bleeding flower moths.
Scaly blazing star
Scaly blazing star
Scaly blazing star (Liatris squarrosa) is a perennial wildflower that grows in dry, rocky savanna and prairie regions. These plants can be found throughout the central and eastern United States. The variant most common in the east has hairy stems and leaves, while on the Great Plains the plants are hairless.
Elegant gayfeather
Elegant gayfeather
This short-lived perennial grows in the southern United States. It's cultivated as a garden plant in warm climates. Elegant gayfeather loves sunny sites, slightly acidic soil, and it attracts various types of butterflies.
Appalachian blazing star
Appalachian blazing star
Appalachian blazing star is a perennial wildflower favored by hummingbirds and several butterfly species. As its name suggests, Appalachian blazing star is native to the Appalachian Mountains of North America — and it does, in fact, look like a vibrant celestial body.
Ontario blazing star
Ontario blazing star
Ontario blazing star (*Liatris cylindracea*) is named for its bright purple star-shaped flowers. These flowers make it a popular garden plant, and it grows well in rock gardens, borders, and cottage gardens. You can find ontario blazing star growing in prairies, woodland glades, and rocky areas.
Dense blazing star 'Alba'
Dense blazing star 'Alba'
The dense blazing star 'Alba' is a cultivar in the daisy family. Its beautiful white flowers grow vertically and appear from the top of the stem to the bottom. Its name ‘Alba’ is Latin for white. Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds love it.
Dense blazing star 'Kobold'
Dense blazing star 'Kobold'
A cultivar of the Dense blazing star, dense blazing star 'Kobold' develops grass-like foliage and beautiful, fuzzy spikes of purple-pink flowers borne on tall stems, but still shorter than the stems of its parent plant. Bred to be more compact than the species, this cultivar doesn't require stalking. It's a good choice for cut flower arrangements.
Blazing star
Blazing star
Blazing star is a perennial herb characteristically developing tall, upright stalks crowned with fluffy, bright-purple flowers. Their distinct blossoms cluster along the stalks, blooming in a striking progression from the top down. Thriving in well-drained soils, blazing star favors prairie and meadow habitats where it provides nectar for butterflies, adding a vibrant splash of color to the summer landscape.
Shaggy blazing star
Shaggy blazing star
Shaggy blazing star is a perennial herb notable for its slender, grass-like leaves and tall, fluffy, pink to purplish flower spikes that blossom from late summer to fall. Its distinctive flowers attract butterflies and thrive in well-drained soil, often adorning prairies and open woodlands. The plant’s vertical growth pattern and feathery blossoms make it a striking presence in its native habitat.
Devil's bite
Devil's bite
Devil's bite is a perennial wildflower with a distinctive tall, slender spike of purple to mauve flower heads blooming in late summer. Its grass-like foliage forms a tuft at the base, supporting the erect stalks that can reach up to 4 feet in height. Devil's bite thrives in well-drained soils of prairies and open woodlands, attracting pollinators such as butterflies and bees with its nectar-rich blooms.
Gulf blazing star
Gulf blazing star
Gulf blazing star is an elegant perennial marked by its slender stems and narrow leaves, graced with spiked inflorescences of purple to rosy-taupe flowers. These fluffy, tufted blooms emerge from late summer to fall, attracting butterflies and pollinators. Adapting to well-drained soils, gulf blazing star often thrives in prairies and open woodlands, where its vivid blossoms punctuate the landscape.
Smallhead blazing star
Smallhead blazing star
Smallhead blazing star is a small perennial herb known for its slender stems and compact cob-like clusters of delicate purple flowers blooming in late summer to fall. The plant thrives in dry, well-drained soils and open woods of its native Southeastern U.S. environments, where its tufted blooms attract butterflies and other pollinators.
Slender blazing star
Slender blazing star
Slender blazing star stands out with its slender, upright stature and feathery plumes of vivid purple flowers that embellish North America's prairies in late summer. These striking blooms, atop grass-like foliage, provide nectar for butterflies, reflecting slender blazing star's ecological role. This perennial's adaptability allows it to thrive in well-drained soils, mirroring its resilience in the wild.
Pinkscale blazing star
Pinkscale blazing star
With its flamboyant purple blooms, pinkscale blazing star adds a touch of elegance to the grasslands it adorns. This perennial stands out with slender stems capped by feathery flower spikes, attracting bees and butterflies. Adaptable to various soils, pinkscale blazing star thrives in full sun, showcasing resilience and beauty as it sways with the prairie winds.
Sharp blazing star
Sharp blazing star
L. acidota grows from rounded to elongated corms that produce hairless stems 20–90 centimeters tall, with some plants growing as tall 130 centimeters. Plants have purple colored flowers in dense heads forming a spike-like collection along the stems.
Liatris pauciflora var. secunda
Liatris pauciflora var. secunda
Liatris pauciflora var. secunda is a striking perennial known for its slender stalks topped with dense spikes of vibrant purple to rosy pink flowers. Its grass-like foliage forms a tuft at the base, from which the flower spikes elegantly rise, blooming from top to bottom. Adapting to its native prairies, liatris pauciflora var. secunda thrives in well-drained soils, attracting pollinators like butterflies with its nectar-rich blooms. This variety stands out with its more limited flower quantity and unique, slightly altered blooming sequence.
Chapman's blazing star
Chapman's blazing star
Chapman's blazing star is a distinctive perennial herb with tall, purple flower spikes that bloom in late summer. It thrives in the sandy soils and open pinelands of its native Southeastern US habitat, reaching heights of up to 1 meter. The feathery, fluffy blooms of chapman's blazing star are a magnet for butterflies and offer a striking vertical element in wildflower gardens.
More Popular Genus
Feedback
Dracaena
Dracaena are popular house plants that are easy to grow. They can tolerate low-light conditions and require little watering. Their leaves range from variegated to dark green. Their characteristic traits include woody stems that grow slowly but offer a striking appearance for small spaces such as apartments or offices.
Fig trees
Fig trees have been cultivated in many regions for their fruits, particularly the common fig, F. carica. Most of the species have edible fruits, although the common fig is the only one of commercial value. Fig trees are also important food sources for wildlife in the tropics, including monkeys, bats, and insects.
Brambles
Brambles are members of the rose family, and there are hundreds of different types to be found throughout the European countryside. They have been culturally significant for centuries; Christian folklore stories hold that when the devil was thrown from heaven, he landed on a bramble bush. Their vigorous growth habit can tangle into native plants and take over.
Maples
The popular tree family known as maples change the color of their leaves in the fall. Many cultural traditions encourage people to watch the colors change, such as momijigari in Japan. Maples popular options for bonsai art. Alternately, their sap is used to create maple syrup.
Prunus
Prunus is a genus of flowering fruit trees that includes almonds, cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines, and apricots. These are often known as "stone fruits" because their pits are large seeds or "stones." When prunus trees are damaged, they exhibit "gummosis," a condition in which the tree's gum (similar to sap) is secreted to the bark to help heal external wounds.
Nightshades
Nightshades is a large and diverse genus of plants, with more than 1500 different types worldwide. This genus incorporates both important staple food crops like tomato, potato, and eggplant, but also dangerous poisonous plants from the nightshade family. The name was coined by Pliny the Elder almost two thousand years ago.
Roses
Most species of roses are shrubs or climbing plants that have showy flowers and sharp thorns. They are commonly cultivated for cut flowers or as ornamental plants in gardens due to their attractive appearance, pleasant fragrance, and cultural significance in many countries. The rose hips (fruits) can also be used in jams and teas.
Oaks
Oaks are among the world's longest-lived trees, sometimes growing for over 1,000 years! The oldest known oak tree is in the southern United States and is over 1,500 years old. Oaks produce an exceedingly popular type of wood which is used to make different products, from furniture and flooring to wine barrels and even cosmetic creams.
Continue reading in our app - it's better
A database of 400000+ plants and unlimited guides at your fingertips...
Your Ultimate Guide to Plants
Identify grow and nurture the better way!
17,000 local species +400,000 global species studied
Nearly 5 years of research
80+ scholars in botany and gardening
Botanist in your pocket
Scan the QR code with your phone camera to download the app
About
Key Facts
Distribution
How To Care
All Species
More Genus
Gay feathers
Liatris
Add color to your garden from spring through fall with the beauty of gay feathers. The lovely green foliage erupts in flowers that bloom from top to bottom, a shift from the traditional bottom-to-top blooming of many flowering stalks. Blossoms are long-lasting and occur from summer to fall. Gay feathers are important food sources for the caterpillars of many moths and butterflies.
Lifespan
Perennial
Plant Type
Herb/Vine
Instantly identify plants with a snap
Snap a photo for instant plant ID, gaining quick insights on disease prevention, treatment, toxicity, care, uses, and symbolism, etc.
Download the App for Free
Key Facts About Gay feathers
Feedback
Attributes of Gay feathers
Leaf type
Deciduous
Ideal Temperature
15 - 38 ℃
Scientific Classification of Gay feathers
Distribution of Gay feathers
Feedback
Distribution Map of Gay feathers
Native
Cultivated
Invasive
Potentially invasive
Exotic
No species reported
How to Grow and Care for Gay feathers
Feedback
Gay feathers is a popular genus loved for its spiked flowers and hardy nature. Basic care involves full or partial sun, well-drained soil and a moderate water requirement. It favors temperatures of around 60-70°F. Gay feathers, however, is susceptible to rust diseases and wilt, and pests like aphids. Seasonally, it needs mulching in winter for protection, and is best divided in spring or early autumn. Notoriously easy to grow, but attention to these factors will ensure a healthy gay feathers growth.
Exploring the Gay feathers Plants
Feedback
8 most common species：
Dense blazing star
Dense blazing star (Liatris spicata) is a flowering plant native to eastern North America. It comes from the same genetic family as sunflowers and daisies. The dense blazing star is a popular choice for a variety of pollinators, such as bees and butterflies. These plants have rather exacting demands on the soil, but benefit the local ecosystem by attracting scores of pollinating insects.
Prairie blazing star
Tall fuzzy-looking flowers set this perennial wildflower, prairie blazing star apart from others. It’s pretty pink and purple blooms appear in late summer. This flower is often grown as an ornamental and is drought tolerant and attractive to butterflies. The seeds are easy to collect and store, but scarification is needed to make the seeds germinate.
Dotted Gayfeather
Dotted Gayfeather (Liatris punctata) has a deep root system—the better to protect it in the sweltering, arid habitats it likes to grow in. Having rhizomes buried deep in the ground helps to make this plant exceedingly drought-tolerant. Its beautiful pinkish-lavender flowers make an appearance in late summer.
Rough blazing star
Rough blazing star is a pollinator paradise. Its late-season purple-tufted blooms attract monarch butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees. This perennial thrives in dry soils, making it a great choice for rock gardens. It has short, stiff hairs on its stem, giving rise to both its common and Latin names, as "aspera" is Latin for "rough."
Show More Species
All Species of Gay feathers
Dense blazing star
Prairie blazing star
Dotted Gayfeather
Rough blazing star
Cusp blazing star
Rocky mountain blazing star
Scaly blazing star
Elegant gayfeather
Appalachian blazing star
Ontario blazing star
Dense blazing star 'Alba'
Dense blazing star 'Kobold'
Blazing star
Shaggy blazing star
Devil's bite
Gulf blazing star
Smallhead blazing star
Slender blazing star
Pinkscale blazing star
Sharp blazing star
Liatris pauciflora var. secunda
Chapman's blazing star
More Popular Genus
Feedback
Dracaena
Dracaena are popular house plants that are easy to grow. They can tolerate low-light conditions and require little watering. Their leaves range from variegated to dark green. Their characteristic traits include woody stems that grow slowly but offer a striking appearance for small spaces such as apartments or offices.
Fig trees
Fig trees have been cultivated in many regions for their fruits, particularly the common fig, F. carica. Most of the species have edible fruits, although the common fig is the only one of commercial value. Fig trees are also important food sources for wildlife in the tropics, including monkeys, bats, and insects.
Brambles
Brambles are members of the rose family, and there are hundreds of different types to be found throughout the European countryside. They have been culturally significant for centuries; Christian folklore stories hold that when the devil was thrown from heaven, he landed on a bramble bush. Their vigorous growth habit can tangle into native plants and take over.
Maples
The popular tree family known as maples change the color of their leaves in the fall. Many cultural traditions encourage people to watch the colors change, such as momijigari in Japan. Maples popular options for bonsai art. Alternately, their sap is used to create maple syrup.
Prunus
Prunus is a genus of flowering fruit trees that includes almonds, cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines, and apricots. These are often known as "stone fruits" because their pits are large seeds or "stones." When prunus trees are damaged, they exhibit "gummosis," a condition in which the tree's gum (similar to sap) is secreted to the bark to help heal external wounds.
Nightshades
Nightshades is a large and diverse genus of plants, with more than 1500 different types worldwide. This genus incorporates both important staple food crops like tomato, potato, and eggplant, but also dangerous poisonous plants from the nightshade family. The name was coined by Pliny the Elder almost two thousand years ago.
Roses
Most species of roses are shrubs or climbing plants that have showy flowers and sharp thorns. They are commonly cultivated for cut flowers or as ornamental plants in gardens due to their attractive appearance, pleasant fragrance, and cultural significance in many countries. The rose hips (fruits) can also be used in jams and teas.
Oaks
Oaks are among the world's longest-lived trees, sometimes growing for over 1,000 years! The oldest known oak tree is in the southern United States and is over 1,500 years old. Oaks produce an exceedingly popular type of wood which is used to make different products, from furniture and flooring to wine barrels and even cosmetic creams.
Your Ultimate Guide to Plants
Identify grow and nurture the better way!
17,000 local species +400,000 global species studied
Nearly 5 years of research
80+ scholars in botany and gardening
Continue reading in our app - it's better
A database of 400000+ plants
unlimited guides at your fingertips...
unlimited guides at your fingertips...
