Dense blazing star (Liatris spicata) is just now coming into bloom at the edge of the alder swamp at
Dense blazing star (Liatris spicata) is just now coming into bloom at the edge of the alder swamp at the West Virginia Botanic Garden. What a perfectly gorgeous summer wildflower this is, tall and stately, and densely packed with marvelously complex purple flowers, which attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds in droves. A perennial member of the Asteraceae family, the plant is also referred to as marsh gayfeather and dense gayfeather. Aside from its elegant flower spikes, dense blazing star has a long history of medicinal use by Native Americans and traditional medicine practitioners, and has been used to treat everything from sore throats to venereal disease. -- source link
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