Flower profile
Scaly blazing star
Liatris squarrosa
Scaly blazing star is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Mississippi it's most often seen in bloom in June–September.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Mississippi
Quick look
Liatris squarrosa, commonly called the scaly blazingstar, is an herbaceous perennial plant native to eastern and central North America, with most populations in the Southeastern United States. It is a somewhat conservative species, often found in dry or rocky areas of native prairie and savanna vegetation. It produces purple flowerheads in the summer.
- It belongs to the Asteraceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 26 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Mississippi. NatureServe
- In Mississippi, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–September. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 319 research-grade sightings of it in Mississippi, ranking #84 among the 110 flowers on our Mississippi list. iNaturalist
Scaly blazing star gift ideas
Handmade scaly blazing star gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Scaly blazing star art print
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Scaly blazing star greeting card
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Scaly blazing star mug
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Scaly blazing star earrings
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Scaly blazing star embroidery pattern
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Scaly blazing star sticker
When does it bloom?
In Mississippi, most flowering sightings come in June–September.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Mississippi
- No list Mississippi has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Mississippi ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Mississippi.
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: CO (S1), DC (SH), MD (S1), MI (SX), WV (SH). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records scaly blazing star in 26 states plus Washington, D.C.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia; District of Columbia.
Mississippi counties with USDA records: Amite, Attala, Benton, Chickasaw, Clarke, Clay, Copiah, Covington, Forrest, Franklin, Greene, Grenada, Hancock, Harrison, Hinds, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Kemper, Lafayette, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Leake, Lee, Lincoln, Marion, Marshall, Monroe, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Panola, Pearl River, Perry, Pike, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Scott, Simpson, Stone, Tate, Tishomingo, Walthall, Wayne, Wilkinson, Winston, Yalobusha.
More Mississippi flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile LISQ.
- iNaturalist, Liatris squarrosa: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Liatris squarrosa (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Mississippi: Mississippi Noxious Weed List (2 Miss. Code R. 1-3-01-136.01).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Liatris squarrosa (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
- Photo: Samuel A Schmid, PhD, PWS via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.