Dense Blazing Star is a native prairie wildflower producing showy spikes of magenta-purple flowers that open from the top down—the reverse of most flowering plants. It is one of the most important late-summer nectar plants in eastern North America, attracting enormous numbers of monarch butterflies on their fall migration. Native bees and skippers also heavily visit it.
Best time to see a Dense Blazing Star
The best time to see a Dense Blazing Star is July–August, when about 70% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 4,034 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Dense Blazing Star? What plant is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Dense Blazing Star sightings near you
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