What's eating my prairie blazing star?

Prairie Blazing Star (Liatris pycnostachya) is a tall native prairie perennial whose main pest threats are aphids on flower stems, caterpillars of Liatris-specialist moths, and slugs on basal foliage in damp conditions. Deer and rabbits occasionally browse it. Plants are generally tough; hand-remove large caterpillar groups and use slug traps as needed.

Clusters on new growth and flower spikes; sticky honeydew with sooty mold; buds may fail to open properly under heavy pressure Knock off with water spray; insecticidal soap on persistent colonies; encourage beneficial insects such as lacewings and ladybirds

Larvae bore into the crown and corm, causing individual stems to wilt and collapse while neighbouring stems remain healthy Remove and destroy wilting stems; no effective chemical control once inside the stem; good drainage and spacing reduces crown rot that attracts borers

Irregular holes and slime trails on basal leaves, especially in spring on emerging foliage in moist conditions Apply iron phosphate slug pellets around plants; set beer traps; remove mulch from directly around the crown to reduce hiding places

Flower spikes browsed before or during bloom; repeated browsing prevents flowering and weakens the corm over time Deer repellent spray applied to spikes in spring; wire exclosures in high-pressure areas; established plants with multiple corms recover but may not bloom that season