FNPS Plant Database

Liatris provincialis

Godfrey's blazing-star
  • Photo by: Jeannie Brodhead, Saracennia Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

Godfrey's blazing-star

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Liatris provincialis

Family:

Asteraceae (Compositae)

Plant Specifics

Form:

flower

Size:

1.5-3 ft tall by narrow spike 

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

lavender

Fruit Color:

Phenology:

Flowers (Aug–) Sep–Oct

Noted For:

Showy Flowers

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Wildflower meadows with other tall plants to add support.

Considerations:

Availability:

Seed

Propagation:

Seed

Light:

Full Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

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Somewhat moist, no flooding -to- Somewhat long very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Soil pH:

acidic

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B,10A,10B,11

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.



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Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Butterflies

Attracts butterflies and bees.

Native Habitats:

Coastal scrubs and sandhills especially in the transition zone to coastal flatwoods.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

This is a narrow endemic found only in the southern parts of Wakulla and Franklin Counties.  It is listed as Endangered  by the State of Florida.

Citations:

Chafin, Linda.  2000.  Godfrey's Bazing Star.  Field Guide to the Rare Plants of Florida.  Florida Natural Areas Inventory, Tallahassee, FL.



Flora of North America.  2020.   http://beta.floranorthamerica.org/Liatris_provincialis



Hammer, Roger. 2015.  Attracting hummingbirds and butterflies in tropical Florida.  University Presses of Florida.



Huegel, Craig, N.  2012.  Native wildflowers and other ground covers for Florida landscapes. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.



Huegel, Craig.  Liatris provincialis.   https://hawthornhillwildflowers.blogspot.com/2010/01/godfreys-blazing-star-liatris.html.



Tras, Pamela.  2001.  Gardening for Florida's butterflies.  Great Outdoors Publishing, St. Petersburg, FL.



Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. 2021.  Atlas of Florida Plants  ( http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ).  Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.   https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/Plant.aspx?id=1140.

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