Looking for Liatris – Georgia Wildlife Blog

This latest Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance plant hunt comes with some exciting news: It looks like four-flowered blazing star (Liatris quadrifolia), a species once thought to grow only in Florida, has been found in southeastern Georgia!

Here’s where we could use your help. Please keep your eyes peeled for this rare beauty while exploring Georgia’s Coastal Plain region this fall, and let us know if you think you’ve spotted it.

Liatris quadrifolia — also known as shortleaf gayfeather — blooms in the fall, and while early November is a bit late, you might get lucky!

Look for spikes of bright purple-pink flowers. The plant has few basal leaves but they grow up to 30 centimeters — over 11 inches — long, forming a loose rosette. The stem leaves are significantly
smaller in size and length.

The plant has been spotted growing in sunny oak and pine woodlands in Wayne, Camden and Charlton counties.

Think you’ve seen it there or elsewhere in the Coastal Plain? Mark the site by GPS, take clear photos of the plant and upload the observation to iNaturalist or share it via email at gabiodata@dnr.ga.gov.