Slender-leaf Blazing Star

I first met the rarely-cultivated slender-leaf blazing star on a 2022 staff expedition with Patrick McMillan and Zac Hill, to Jasper County, SC. Here, Liatris tenuifolia grew throughout the dry, sandy habitat in between gopher tortoise mounds. The native range of this species, stretches from SC southwest to Mississippi. Our seeds from the expedition sprouted, and are happily growing here at JLBG, just now winding up their flowering season. In our garden, they have so far topped out at 3′, but in the wild, we encountered specimens to 5′ tall, growing in scrub oak habitat. Based on its native range, we anticipate winter hardiness to be at least Zone 7a-10b. We look forward to sharing this rarely grown Southeastern native in the future.