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Whorled rosinweed

Silphium trifoliatum

Silphium trifoliatum

Regular price $6.48 USD
Regular price Sale price $6.48 USD
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Size

Sun/shade: Full sun

Soil moisture: Medium

Height: 6-7'

Spread: 2-4'

Flowering period: June to September

Host plant for 6 caterpillar species

Whorled rosinweed’s open, branching upper stems begin to bloom in mid-summer, and wherever the plant thrives, an airy layer of sunny flowerheads soon softens the transition from meadow to sky. As with several other silphium species, the flowering portion of whorled rosinweed’s stems is nearly bare of leaves. This causes the upper stems to be quite inconspicuous, giving the pleasing impression that the yellow flowerheads are simply hanging in the air. The beguiling nature of the flowers is certainly not lost on the pollinator community, with native bees displaying a particular fondness for the blooms. The tubular central disk flowers are especially suited for long-tongued pollinators, with bumblebees and butterflies among the frequent visitors. Below the flowering stems, the plant’s leaves are arranged around its single tall stalk in groupings of three or four, offering an added element of visual interest.

One of the more easterly distributed members of the silphium genus, whorled rosinweed is tolerant of light shade in addition to full sun, and its native NE Ohio habitats include woodland openings as well as meadows. If planted at the edge of a tree canopy, however, the plant has a tendency to lean toward the sun. Whorled rosinweed grows well in soil moisture ranging from moderately wet to moderately dry, forming small colonies through the production of short underground stems. Attaining a mature height of 5 – 8’, whorled rosinweed is a tall, long-lived perennial that reliably blooms from mid to late summer year after year.

Photo by Andrew Cannizzaro.

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