Native Plant Database

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Ageratina altissima (White snakeroot)
Bransford, W.D. Mrs.

Ageratina altissima (L.) King & H.E. Robins.

White snakeroot

Asteraceae (Aster Family)

USDA Symbol: AGAL5

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

Solitary or clustered firm stems bear flat-topped clusters of small fuzzy white flower heads composed entirely of disk flowers.

This plant used to be placed in the genus Eupatorium, as did Smaller White Snakeroot (A. aromatica), a nonaromatic plant despite its name; it has less coarsely toothed leaves, the upper ones stalkless. Other similar species are Late-flowering Thoroughwort (Eupatorium serotinum), which has long-stalked lanceolate leaves with 3-5 main veins, and Hyssop-leaf Thoroughwort (E. hyssopifolium), with very narrow leaves in whorls of 3-4.

 

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Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Size Class: 1-3 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Time: Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , CT , DE , FL , GA , IL , IN , IA , KS , KY , LA , ME , MD , MA , MI , MN , MS , MO , NE , NH , NJ , NY , NC , ND , OH , OK , PA , RI , SC , SD , TN , TX , VT , VA , WV , WI , DC
Canada: NB , NS , ON , SK
Native Distribution: S. Ontario to New Brunswick; south through New England to Virginia and upland Georgia; west to Louisiana and ne. Texas; north to Wisconsin.
Native Habitat: Woods and thickets.
USDA Native Status: L48(N), CAN(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist , Dry
Drought Tolerance: High
Conditions Comments: Prefers full sun but will tolerate shade in more southern locations.
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Bibliography

* Armitage's Native Plants for North American Gardens (2006) Armitage, A. M.
Gardening with Prairie Plants: How to Create Beautiful Native Landscapes (2002) Wasowski, S.

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Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Ageratina altissima in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Ageratina altissima in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Ageratina altissima

Metadata

Record Modified: 2009-08-20
Research By: TWC Staff

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