Wikimedia Commons
Asteraceae
Prairie Dock
Silphium terebinthinaceum
Deep roots and strength.
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Genus
- Silphium
- Native to
- United States, Canada
- Bloom season
- Summer, Fall
- Type
- perennial
- Height
- 4-10 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- deep, moist to dry, clay to loamy
- Water
- low to moderate
- Hardiness
- 3-8
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- Its enormous basal leaves can grow up to 2 feet long and always orient themselves north-south to minimize sun exposure, earning it the name 'compass plant's cousin.'
- The taproot can extend 15 feet deep into the soil, accessing water far beyond the reach of most prairie plants.
- Flower stalks shoot up 6-10 feet tall with almost no leaves, creating a dramatic candelabra effect on the prairie.
- The resinous sap was chewed like gum by Native Americans and early settlers, giving the genus its name from the Greek 'silphion.'
- A single plant can live for over 100 years, making it one of the longest-lived herbaceous plants in North America.
Color meanings
0
groundedness
1
endurance
2
reaching high