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Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

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Agalinis purpurea (Purple false foxglove)
Cressler, Alan

Agalinis purpurea

Agalinis purpurea (L.) Pennell

Purple False Foxglove, Purple Gerardia, Gerardia

Scrophulariaceae (Figwort Family)

Synonym(s): Agalinis purpurea var. carteri, Gerardia purpurea, Gerardia purpurea ssp. parvula, Gerardia purpurea var. carteri, Gerardia purpurea var. grandiflora

USDA Symbol: AGPU5

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)

Pink, bell-shaped flowers on short stalks bloom in the axils of opposite, linear leaves.

The rose-purple corolla of this widely spreading, smooth-stemmed annual has dark spots on the inside of the throat. As a group, the Gerardias are slender, wiry-branched plants with narrow leaves. A smaller species, found in salt marshes, Seaside Gerardia (A. maritima), has rather fleshy linear leaves and smaller flowers. Over fifteen species of this genus occur in eastern North America, all with pink to purplish (or occasionally white) flowers.

 

From the Image Gallery

27 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Annual
Habit: Herb
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 4 feet tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Red , Pink , Yellow , Purple
Bloom Time: Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct , Nov

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , MI , MN , MO , MS , NC , NE , NH , NJ , NY , OH , PA , RI , SC , TN , TX , VA , WI , WV
Canada: ON
Native Distribution: S. New England and se. New York to Florida; west to e. Texas; north to Nebraska and Minnesota.
Native Habitat: moist sandy fields, rocky shores, serpentine barrens

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade , Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist , Wet
Soil Description: Sandy

Benefit

Conspicuous Flowers: yes

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:AGCPAKAWCBEMPGPHIMWNCNEWMVE
Status: FACW FACW FACW FACW FACW FACW
This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Crosby Arboretum - Picayune, MS
Natural Biodiversity - Johnstown, PA
Mt. Cuba Center - Hockessin, DE

Bibliography

Bibref 946 - Gardening with Prairie Plants: How to Create Beautiful Native Landscapes (2002) Wasowski, Sally
Bibref 248 - Texas Wildflowers: A Field Guide (1984) Loughmiller, C. & L. Loughmiller
Bibref 1294 - The Midwestern Native Garden: Native Alternatives to Nonnative Flowers and Plants An Illustrated Guide (2011) Adelman, Charlotte and Schwartz, Bernard L.
Bibref 328 - Wildflowers of Texas (2003) Ajilvsgi, Geyata.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

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

Metadata

Record Modified: 2022-10-31
Research By: TWC Staff

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