Easy-to-grow prairie perennial. Much shorter than other Silphiums, very adaptable to soil types/moisture, and a nice structural plant with bigger yellow flowers. Resembles sunflowers (Helianthus), but it flowers earlier and doesn’t spread as wildly. Still, it spreads via short rhizomes and can be weedy, especially in small areas. It’s better to plant Silphium integrifolium where it can form nice clumps and spread a bit, such as in bigger meadows, prairies, butterfly or bee gardens, and open woodland areas. It matures to its full size very quickly and doesn’t flop over.
Good perennial company can be Aster, Baptisia, Liatris, Monarda, Pycnanthemum, or prairie grasses.
Native Americans and pioneers used the exudate as chewing gum. It is a medicinal plant too (along with other Silphiums); it has been used for pain relief and treating urinary tract infections.
Picture copyright : F. D. Richards, Flickr
Blooming Time: July to SeptemberSize: 5’ high x 2-3’ wideUSDA Zones: 4 to 8Culture: full sun, half-sun, average soil, clay, gravelly soil, sandy soil, very adaptable to soil and moistureMoisture Needs: dry, medium-dry, medium, medium-moistOrigin: native wildflower to Eastern and central North America, from Michigan to Wyoming south to Alabama and New Mexico, grows naturally in mesic prairies, openings, and along roadsDeer/Rabbit Resistant: yes/yes (but cattle can eat the whole plant)Attracts Butterflies or Pollinators: honeybees, native bees (bumblebees, Little Carpenter bees, Epeoline Cuckoo bees, Miner bees, and large Leaf-Cutting bees) butterflies, flies, small wasps; it is a host plant for one moth’s caterpillars and other insectsAttracts Hummingbirds: no, but goldfinches occasionally feed on seedsPot Size: 3.5″ x 4″ perennial pot (1.22 pt/580 ml)
