Blazing Star Seedlings

This vertically spiking plant, also known as Gayfeather, unfurls blooms from tip to stem, like a flame descending a sparkler stick. No wonder it is so attractive to so many pollinators: its showy spikes draw in crowds of butterflies, moths, bees, nymphs, and hummingbirds. The larvae of the spectacular Bleeding Flower Moth, depicted in the artwork, feed on the leaves of Liatris species such as this. It is also attractive to humans, who appreciate the ombre tones of the spike as it moves from the bud to flower stage.