Tenpetal Blazingstar: The Night-Blooming Native That Lights Up Evening Gardens
If you’re looking for a native plant that brings drama and mystery to your garden, tenpetal blazingstar (Mentzelia decapetala) might just be your new favorite. This remarkable prairie native puts on quite a show when the sun goes down, unfurling massive white blooms that seem to glow in the moonlight.
What Makes Tenpetal Blazingstar Special
Don’t let the tenpetal name fool you – this stunning wildflower actually produces flowers with way more than ten petals! The large, creamy-white blooms can stretch up to 4 inches across and are packed with prominent golden stamens that create an almost firework-like display. What makes this plant truly unique is its evening blooming habit – the flowers open as dusk approaches and release a sweet fragrance that attracts night-flying pollinators.
As a forb (a non-woody flowering plant), tenpetal blazingstar grows as either a biennial or short-lived perennial, reaching heights of about 3.5 feet with a single-crown growth form. The plant has coarse-textured, green foliage and maintains an upright, erect shape throughout the growing season.
Where It Calls Home
Tenpetal blazingstar is a true North American native, naturally occurring across the Great Plains and western regions. You’ll find it growing wild in Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. This extensive native range makes it an excellent choice for gardeners looking to support local ecosystems.
Perfect for Prairie and Xeriscape Gardens
This prairie native shines brightest in naturalistic garden settings. Here’s where tenpetal blazingstar really excels:
- Evening gardens: The night-blooming flowers make it perfect for spaces you enjoy during sunset hours
- Prairie restorations: An authentic addition to native grassland plantings
- Xeriscape gardens: Extremely drought-tolerant once established
- Wildlife gardens: Attracts fascinating nocturnal pollinators like sphinx moths
- Low-maintenance landscapes: Thrives with minimal care in appropriate conditions
Growing Conditions and Hardiness
Tenpetal blazingstar is remarkably adaptable and tough, thriving in USDA hardiness zones 3-8. Here’s what this resilient native needs to flourish:
- Sunlight: Full sun (shade intolerant)
- Soil: Well-draining, coarse to medium-textured soils
- pH range: 6.0 to 8.4
- Moisture: Drought-tolerant with medium water use
- Temperature: Can handle temperatures as low as -38°F
- Precipitation: Thrives with 16-32 inches annual rainfall
One of the best features of this plant is its high drought tolerance and rapid growth rate during its active growing period in spring and summer.
Planting and Care Tips
Growing tenpetal blazingstar successfully is easier than you might think, but timing is everything:
- Seeding: Direct seed in fall for best results – the seeds need cold stratification over winter
- Germination: Seeds have high vigor and will sprout readily in spring after cold treatment
- Spacing: Give plants room to reach their full 3.5-foot height
- Fertilizing: Medium fertility requirements – avoid over-fertilizing
- Maintenance: Very low maintenance once established
- Root depth: Develops deep roots (minimum 10 inches) for drought tolerance
The plant blooms in mid-summer and produces brown seeds from summer through fall. While it has moderate seed dispersal and doesn’t spread vegetatively, it may self-seed in ideal conditions.
Benefits for Pollinators and Wildlife
Tenpetal blazingstar is a pollinator magnet, but not in the way you might expect. Its evening-blooming habit makes it incredibly valuable for nocturnal pollinators, particularly moths and sphinx moths. These night-flying insects are often overlooked in garden planning, but they play crucial roles in ecosystem health and provide food for bats and other wildlife.
The fragrant, nectar-rich flowers offer an important food source during the plant’s mid-summer bloom period, filling a niche that many daytime-blooming flowers can’t provide.
Is Tenpetal Blazingstar Right for Your Garden?
This native beauty is perfect if you:
- Want to create an evening garden with night-blooming interest
- Need drought-tolerant plants for challenging sites
- Are establishing a prairie or native plant garden
- Want to support nocturnal pollinators
- Prefer low-maintenance, authentic native species
Keep in mind that tenpetal blazingstar is a relatively short-lived plant and may need replanting every few years. However, its spectacular evening display and important ecological role make it well worth including in native plant gardens.
With its dramatic nighttime blooms and hardy prairie genetics, tenpetal blazingstar brings both beauty and ecological value to the landscape. It’s a perfect example of how native plants can offer unique garden experiences while supporting local wildlife – even the kind that comes out after dark!
