Blazing Stars (also called Gayfeathers) of the Liatris genus have general characteristics of: Stem leaves narrow and lance shaped; the flower heads, typically numbering 5 to 60 (but 160+ on a few species) appear on a spike, each flowerhead containing a number of small tubular 5-lobed pink-purple florets. Local variations in species populations will be observed. Rootstocks are corms and rhizomes.

L. aspera can grow from 16 to 48 inches high on an unbranched stiff ridged stem, covered with short stiff hair within the floral array. The stem while green, will usually have some purplish tints.

The leaves along the upper part of the stem are numerous but not dense below the floral array. The lower stem leaves are longer with a gentle taper to a stalk and are sometimes gland dotted. The more basal leaves are + or - 7 inches long and 3/8 inch wide while the upper leaves are + or - 3 inches long and 3/16 inches wide. In the western part of the plants range, the leaves will have fine hair, otherwise not. Leaves are widest above the mid-point.

The floral array is a tall spike of loosely arrayed flower heads.

Flower heads, numbering from 10 or more, are all the same size, about 1 inch wide, they are not densely positioned on the spike, and each head contains 14 to 35 florets densely crowded into a button shaped head. Each head has a short ascending stalk (up to 1 inch long) containing a leafy bract. Buds open from the top of spike and move downward. Each floret has a tubular pink-purple corolla, finely hairy inside, whose 5 lobes spread outward at the throat. A long divided style is exserted from the tube but the 5 stamens, which tightly surround the style, are not exserted. The phyllaries (bracts) around the outside of the flowerhead are in a series of 4 or 5 with the outer series reflexed. The middle series have wide irregularly cut edges and rounded tips. Part of the edges are whitish-translucent. The outer ones are green or green with purple tips while the inners become purplish.

Seed: Fertile flowers produce a dry seed (a cypsela), obconic shaped, with 8 to 11 ribs and bristly hair attached for wind dispersion. Seeds need at least 60 days of cold stratification for germination.

Habitat: This species of Liatris prefers full sun in well drained soil with dry to moderate moisture conditions. Long-tongued bees and butterflies will visit these plants. It grows from a corm-like structure with fibrous roots. Unfortunately, rabbits and deer like the plant too. It will bloom in August if an early spring, otherwise early September.

Names: The genus Liatris is an old name whose meaning has been lost. The species aspera, means 'rough', referring perhaps to the stiff short stem hair. The author name for the plant classification, ‘Michx.’ is for Andre Michaux (1746-1802), French botanist who made many exploring expeditions in the U.S. collecting and cataloging many species. Two important works of his are the Histoire des chênes de l'Amérique septentrionale (1801 - Oaks of North America), and the Flora Boreali-Americana (2 vols., 1803, published posthumously, containing the description of this species). His son Francois, traveled with him and the father’s notes were later used for the 3-volume North American Sylva, for which Thomas Nuttall provided some supplements.

Comparisons: The button shaped heads of the floral array separate this species from the other Blazing Stars except for the Northern Blazing Star, L. scariosa. Both species have similar shape heads and both can have stem hair. L. aspera however, has up to 35 florets in the flower head whereas L. scariosa has that as a minimum; also the middle phyllaries of L. aspera have irregularly cut tips whereas on L. scariosa they are broadly rounded.