Asteraceae FAMILY
Silphium perfoliatum
Silphium perfoliatum
Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
2/5
Safety & Hazards
None known
Botanical Description
Silphium perfoliatum is a herbaceous perennial plant growing from a fibrous rootstock, it produces a basal clump of leaves in its first year of growth, in following years also producing flowering leafy stems 75 - 300cm tall[ 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine. It is receiving increasing interest (as of 2017) as a biomass crop and is also often grown as an ornamental.
Habitat & Origin
Origintemperate
Native RangeEastern and central N. America - North Dakota to Ontario and Vermont, south to Texas, Alabama and North Carolina
HabitatRich woods, thickets, river banks and prairies[ 43 Title Gray's Manual of Botany.Eighth Edition Publication Author Fernald. M. L. Publisher American Book Co.; New York Year 1950 ISBN 0442222505 Description A bit dated but a good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America. ]. Wet prairies, open forests, and river bottoms at elevations of 50 - 500 metres[ 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. ].