Savannah Gayfeather / Center For Plant Conservation
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Plant Profile

Savannah Gayfeather (Liatris savannensis)

Bright purple flowers of Liatris savannensis blooming in situ in Sarasota County.

 Photo Credit: Wade Collier
  • Global Rank: N/A
  • Legal Status: N/A
  • Family: Asteraceae
  • State: FL
  • Nature Serve ID: 821411
  • Lifeform: Forb/herb
  • Date Inducted in National Collection: 11/16/2023
Description:

Where is Savannah Gayfeather (Liatris savannensis) located in the wild?

Distribution:

West-central Florida

States & Provinces:

Savannah Gayfeather can be found in Florida

Which CPC Partners conserve Savannah Gayfeather (Liatris savannensis)?

  • National Laboratory for Genetic Resource Preservation (USDA-ARS)

    Not Sponsored
    Assigned 11/17/23

  • Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

    Not Sponsored
    Conservation Actions
    Assigned 11/17/23

  • Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

    Not Sponsored
    Assigned 11/17/23
    • CPC's Plant Sponsorship Program provides long term stewardship of rare plants in our National Collection. We are so grateful for all our donors who have made the Plant Sponsorship Program so successful. We are in the process of acknowledging all our wonderful plant sponsorship donors on our website. This is a work in progress and will be updated regularly.

    Conservation Actions

    Elizabeth Gandy
    • 11/17/2023
      • Seed Collection Orthodox Seed Banking

    Savanna blazing-star (Liatris savannensis) is an attractive fall wildflower endemic to southwest Florida. Plants are easy to spot, growing to as tall as four feet with heads of purplish-pink discoid flowers in spike-like arrangement on the upper portion of the stems. These colorful “wands” stick up from the surrounding herbaceous vegetation and announce their presence. Even though they are easy to spot, populations that are large enough to collect seed from are rare to find. One such population was found at a Sarasota County preserve and documented thanks to an iNaturalist post.

    Liatris savannensis is a prolific seed producer, but as is typical for Asteracaeae, only a portion of seeds are viable. Seeds collected for long-term storage need to be evaluated for viability and the presence of herbivorous insects during cleaning. Recent seed collections found a number of insect larvae, likely weevils or moths eating through the seeds in entire heads. The tell-tale aggregation of seeds from a head that do not separate easily, and the presence of frass are both good indicators there is a larva present. Plump, dark seeds with a spreading pappus are what we look for to save for long-term storage.

               

    Photos by Wade Collier (field) and Elizabeth Gandy (scope)

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    Nomenclature
    Taxon Liatris savannensis
    Authority Kral & Nesom
    Family Asteraceae
    CPC Number 449777
    ITIS 780422
    USDA LISA9
    Duration Perennial
    Common Names Savannah Gayfeather | Savannah Blazingstar
    Associated Scientific Names Liatris savannensis
    Distribution West-central Florida
    State Rank
    State State Rank
    Florida
    Ecological Relationships

    Photos

    Healthy population of this southwest Florida endemic in its native pine flatwood habitat. Photo Credit: Bruce Holst

    Phyllaries with obtuse apices help to distinguish this species of Liatris in southwest Florida. Photo Credit: Bruce Holst

    Seed collection bags help to capture seeds in case of wind or rain that might disperse them. Photo Credit: Wade Collier

    Bright purple flowers of Liatris savannensis blooming in situ in Sarasota County.

    Photo Credit: Wade Collier

    Liatris savannensis seeds in situ in Sarasota County.

    Photo Credit: Wade Collier

    Liatris savannensis seeds with insect larvae.

    Photo Credit: Elizabeth Gandy

    Liatris savannensis seeds with insect larvae.

    Photo Credit: Elizabeth Gandy

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