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Liatris novae-angliae

(Lunell) Shinners

New England Blazing-star

G4Apparently Secure Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.1366862
Element CodePDAST5X1X0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderAsterales
FamilyAsteraceae
GenusLiatris
Concept Reference
Shinners, L.H. 1943. A revision of the Liatris scariosa complex. Amer. Midl. Nat. 29: 27-41.
Taxonomic Comments
This record represents the concept of Liatris novae-angliae following Weakley (2025) that includes material of two varieties recognized by Kartesz (1994, 1999) and FNA (vol. 5, 2005): L. scariosa var. nieuwlandii and L. scariosa var. novae-angliae, which are distinguished in Weakley (2025) as L. novae-angliae var. nieuwlandii and L. novae-angliae var. novae-angliae. Haines (2011) also follows this treatment accepting L. novae-angliae var. novae-angliae which is the variety in New England.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-10-02
Change Date2025-10-02
Edition Date2025-10-02
Edition AuthorsSoteropoulos (2025)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 - 300
Rank Reasons
Liatris novae-angliae is a perennial herb found in a variety of open habitats, including sandy barrens, heathlands, maritime grasslands, prairies, glades, and open woods. It occurs in the eastern United States from Maine west to Wisconsin and south to New Jersey, West Virginia, and Arkansas. There are over 150 occurrences, which face threats from development, pasture and agriculture, rights-of-way maintenance, recreational activities, fire suppression, invasive species, and deer browse. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent and large number of occurrences, and broad habitat preferences, this taxon is considered apparently secure.
Range Extent Comments
Liatris novae-angliae occurs in the eastern United States from Maine west to Wisconsin and south to New Jersey, West Virginia, and Arkansas (FNA 2006, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2025). Range extent was estimated to be approximately 1.2 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025 (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025). See each of the two varieties for more information.
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025, it is estimated that there are over 150 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025). Due to different treatments of this entity, herbarium records and photo-based observations may underrepresent true abundance.
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this taxon is threatened by development, pasture and agriculture, rights-of-way maintenance, recreational activities (especially off-road vehicles), fire suppression, invasive species, deer browse, and other threats in some places, though there is insufficient data, including anecdotal accounts, to understand scope and severity of threats for this taxon (NatureServe 2025).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Liatris novae-angliae grows in prairies, glades, open woods, bluff ledges, railroads, rocky limestone soils, red clays, jack pine, pine-oak, oak-juniper, oak-hickory, aspen, sandy fields, and road banks from 20-500 m in elevation (FNA 2006). In Massachusetts, plants are found in low-nutrient, dry, and sandy barrens, heathlands, and grasslands (Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife 2019). It can also be associated with maritime grasslands, or openings in maritime heathlands (New York Natural Heritage Program 2025), and places where sea spray prohibits woody plant encroachment (Native Plant Trust 2025).

Reproduction

This taxon produces flowers in August and September, and produces seed from late September to October (Gravuer et al. 2003, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2025). Seeds are wind-dispersed.
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandForest EdgeWoodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedShrubland/chaparralGrassland/herbaceousBarrensBare rock/talus/scree
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
PennsylvaniaSNRYes
MaineS1Yes
West VirginiaSNRYes
MichiganSNRYes
New HampshireSNRYes
OhioSNRYes
IllinoisSNRYes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
New YorkSNRYes
MissouriSNRYes
ArkansasSNRYes
New JerseySNRYes
MassachusettsSNRYes
IndianaSNRYes
ConnecticutSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentUnknownUnknownUnknown
2 - Agriculture & aquacultureUnknownUnknownUnknown
2.1 - Annual & perennial non-timber cropsUnknownUnknownUnknown
2.3 - Livestock farming & ranchingUnknownUnknownUnknown
4 - Transportation & service corridorsUnknownUnknownUnknown
6 - Human intrusions & disturbanceUnknownUnknownUnknown
6.1 - Recreational activitiesUnknownUnknownUnknown
7 - Natural system modificationsUnknownUnknownUnknown
7.1 - Fire & fire suppressionUnknownUnknownUnknown
7.1.2 - Suppression in fire frequency/intensityUnknownUnknownUnknown
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.1.1 - Unspecified speciesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.2 - Problematic native species/diseasesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.2.2 - Named speciesUnknownUnknownUnknown

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (2)
New Hampshire (2)
AreaForestAcres
Great Gulf Ext.White Mountain National Forest15,110
Presidential - Dry River ExtWhite Mountain National Forest10,555
References (10)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2006c. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 21. Magnoliophyta: Asteridae, part 8: Asteraceae, part 3. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxii + 616 pp.
  2. Gravuer, K., Von Wettberg, E.J. and J. Schmitt. 2003. Dispersal biology of <i>Liatris scariosa</i> var. <i>novae-angliae</i> (Asteraceae), a rare New England grassland perennial. American Journal of Botany 90(8): 1159-1167.
  3. Haines, A. 2011. Flora Novae Angliae: a manual for the identification of native and naturalized higher vascular plants of New England. Yale University Press, New Haven, CT. 973 pp.
  4. Kane, A and J. Schmitt. 2001. <i>Liatris borealis</i> Nuttall ex MacNab (Northern Blazing Star) Conservation and Research Plan. Report prepared for the New England Wild Flower Society, Framingham, MA. 39 pp.
  5. Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C.
  6. Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. 2019. New England Blazing Star (<i>Liatris novae-angliae</i>) fact-sheet. Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program, Westborough, MA. Online. Available: <a href="https://www.mass.gov/doc/new-england-blazing-star/download">https://www.mass.gov/doc/new-england-blazing-star/download</a> (accessed 2025).
  7. Native Plant Trust. 2025. Go Botany website. Online. Available: https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org (accessed 2025).
  8. New York Natural Heritage Program. 2025. Online Conservation Guide for <i>Liatris scariosa</i> var. <i>novae-angliae</i>. New York Natural Heritage Program, Albany, NY. Online. Available: https://guides.nynhp.org/northern-blazing-star/(Accessed 2025).
  9. Shinners, L.H. 1943. A revision of the <i>Liatris scariosa </i>complex. Amer. Midl. Nat. 29: 27-41.
  10. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2025. Flora of the southeastern United States Web App. Edition of February 18, 2025. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Online. Available: https://fsus.ncbg.unc.edu (accessed 2025).