Re: cup plant- Silphium perfoliatum

In a message dated 8/29/00 4:38:59 PM Central Daylight Time, ECPep@AOL.COM
writes:

<< What is a "big cup plant"?  We have a giant green thing that came with that
 name. >>
Hi Claire,
I looked it up in 2 books to confirm the Latin name, because it has other
common names that I didn't know about: square weed carpenter weed and compass
plant (not to be confused with a similar plant with that same name)  Gee,
don't you just love common names???  From my reading, I see why the plant
does good in my part sun location.

The Latin name is Silphium perfoliatum.
 Dr Leon Snyder's book "Native Plants for Norther Gardens" says:
"Descr: Hardy in all zones; perennial to 2.5 meters tall (8 ft?).  Nearly
glabrous perennial, native in open fields and open woods from South Dakota to
Ontario, south to Oklahoma and Georgia.
Culture (same as for the other compass plant-S. laciniatum) is Plant toward
the back of the flower borders or in prairie gardens.  Plants are easy to
grow in any well-drained garden soil in full sun."

 Another excellant book on prairie plants by Shirley Shirley called Restoring
the Tallgrass Prairie" has this to say:
"Location: Moist alluvial woods and woodland edges, prairie swales,
roadsides.  Frequent to common throughout most of state (Iowa) except
northwest.  Excellent in tough clay soil.  Wet mesic, mesic.  Full to partial
sun.  pH: Acidic-neutral 5.5-7.5.
Height as 3 to 8 ft.  Blooming July - August.  Yellow 2-3inch ray flowers and
disk surrounded by large bracts.  Attracts hummingbirds, other birds, and
butterflies.  The leaves form a cup that collects rainwater and attracts
birds."
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index