Hoary Puccoon

Did you know

• The name 'puccoon' comes from an Algonquian word for plants with red or yellow dye properties — numerous tribes used the root to produce a red-orange dye for body paint and textiles.
• Hoary puccoon blooms in early spring when few other prairie plants are in flower, making it a critical first nectar source for newly emerging native bees.
• The genus name Lithospermum means 'stone seed' in Greek, describing the remarkably hard, ivory-white nutlets that resemble tiny white pearls.
• The 'hoary' in the name refers to the dense covering of silvery-gray hairs on the leaves and stems, which reflect sunlight and reduce moisture loss.
• It is a slow-growing, deep-rooted prairie perennial that can be difficult to establish but is extremely long-lived once settled in sandy prairie soils.

Color meanings

Uses

• traditional dye
• ornamental
• native prairie planting