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Can anyone help me identify this plant? It is located in the foothills of Colorado.

enter image description here

and a younger version: enter image description here

Have not had any luck that past few days online and would appreciate any shared knowledge!

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  • It's similar enough to Liatris spicata (which I grow) that it might be another species of Liatris.
    – Niall C.
    Aug 24, 2012 at 1:30
  • Looks promising from the pictures on the wiki page. You should post a full answer so you can get the rep you deserve!
    – justing
    Aug 24, 2012 at 1:43
  • I'm trying to get a better id. L. punctata and L. pycnostachya look promising... Bear with me
    – Niall C.
    Aug 24, 2012 at 1:50
  • I haven't been able to get a positive identification, so I'll leave it for someone who knows what they're talking about. :)
    – Niall C.
    Aug 24, 2012 at 5:04
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    Niall: its a Liatris, most likely spicata, so post your ID!
    – Bamboo
    Aug 24, 2012 at 11:27

1 Answer 1

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It's a Liatris, most likely Liatris spicata (commonly known as Blazing Star) which is widely grown as a garden flower in the USA. Another possibility is L. punctata which is native to Colorado.

L. spicata is easily identified by their long flower spikes composed of hundreds of smaller feathery florets in pink, magenta or purple. They also have long narrow leaves arranged radially around the stem. They're perennials, growing from a corm, so you can look forward to seeing them again in future years.

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    and in good conditions where they are not dead headed they verge on being weedy
    – kevinskio
    Aug 24, 2012 at 14:53

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