Summary ²

Silphium perfoliatum, the cup plant or cup-plant, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to eastern and central North America. It is an erect herbaceous perennial with triangular toothed leaves, and daisy-like yellow composite flower heads in summer.

Description ³

Family:
Asteraceae (Aster)

Height:
4 to 8 feet

Leaves:
Large, opposite leaves (6-10" long) united at the base to form a cup along a square stem

Flower:
Each plant has several yellow flowers with 20-30 petals and darker yellow centers

Bloom time:
July-September

Habitat:
Prairies, shorelines, wetlands

Wildlife Benefits:
The cup-like leaves hold rainwater that is used by birds and tree frogs. The seeds are eaten by birds and mice.

Can I plant this in my garden?
Prefers full to part sun and grows well in upland moist to wet soil conditions.

References:
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/cup-plant
http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/cupplantx.htm

Range ³

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, all rights reserved, uploaded by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District
2. Adapted by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silphium_perfoliatum
3. (c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• eFloras.org
• Flora of North America (beta)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Go Botany
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• OregonFlora.org
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• USDA PLANTS database
• VASCAN by Canadensys
• World Flora Online

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