The Texas Gayfeather (Liatris punctata var. mucronata) is one of those flowers that brings striking beauty to the vibrant colors of Texas wildflowers. They are also known as Texas Blazing Star or Narrow-leaf Gayfeather. It is a perennial wildflower native to Texas, and it can also be found in parts of the south-central United States and Mexico. I opened with a flower macro so you can see the intricate patterns and details they have. Let’s back up and see the whole flower.
The spikes you see in the top left image can grow 1-3 feet tall (30.5-90 cm). They are densely packed with tufted, purple to rose-pink flowers. One interesting fact about the flowers is that they bloom sequentially from the top of the spike downwards. You can see that clearly in the bottom image.
Naturally, they attract a wide range of pollinators, including butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. The flowers typically bloom August to December. Once dry, the tops of the stalks turn into seeds that wind and pollinators can spread. Those dry seeds can also serve as food for birds during the colder months.
That is the story behind the shots. If you liked these photos, you might also be interested in other posts featuring Berry Springs Park and Preserve, Copperfield Nature Trail, FOTD, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Parks, Sunday Stills, Texas, Texas gayfeather, and Wildflowers. Until the next time, keep clicking and capturing the beauty your eyes find.
For Terry’s Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge: Dramatic Shades of #Purple and Cee/Chris’ FOTD.
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Terri Webster Schrandt
Beyond stunning, Egidio! What a beautiful plant! Thank you for sharing your purple this week! 💜
Egidio Leitao
Terri, that’s very kind of you. This is a perfect way to close my day. It was wonderful to focus on one plant from this area for your challenge.
Nicole Sara
So lovely… beautiful color and flowers! 🙂
Egidio Leitao
Glad you liked it, Nicole. Thank you.
restlessjo
That Gayfeather is just glorious! Happy Easter, Egidio xx
Egidio Leitao
Good Friday, Jo. Thanks for the comment.
Anita
Purple is my favorite color and your photos are absolutely gorgeous!!
Strange, I can only comment via the Reader. But better than not being able to comment at all. Happy Easter from Cyprus!!
Egidio Leitao
It’s a beautiful color, and in nature, it complements so well with greens. Thanks for your feedback. Happy Easter to you!
Toonsarah
A lovely soft shade of purple, enhanced in your beautiful macro shot in particular. Like Anita I was only able to comment through Reader, the comments box seems to be disabled on the website itself. But it may be a general WP issue as I couldn’t comment on another blog I visited.
Egidio Leitao
I wonder if it was a temporary WP glitch. I tested and was able to comment directly on the post itself. Anyway, thank you for your comments. I’m glad you liked the photos.
Tra Italia e Finlandia
Scatti e colori meravigliosi!
Egidio Leitao
Grazie mille.
Writing to Freedom
Thanks for the introduction to this beautiful wildflower Egidio!
Egidio Leitao
You’re welcome, Brad. I just planted one in our backyard. We’ll see how it does here.
Writing to Freedom
Nice!
Wandering Dawgs
Gorgeous!
Egidio Leitao
Thank you, Beth.
Leanne Cole
Beautiful Egidio.
Egidio Leitao
Thank you very much, Leanne.