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Native Plant Database

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Scrophularia marilandica (Carpenter's square)
Wasowski, Sally and Andy

Scrophularia marilandica L.

Carpenter's square, Maryland Figwort

Scrophulariaceae (Figwort Family)

USDA Symbol: SCMA2

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

A 4-sided, grooved stem bearing a branching, somewhat pyramidal, terminal cluster of small, erect, sac-shaped, greenish-brown flowers with magenta-brown interiors.

Figworts are tall plants with brownish or greenish flowers in a large branched panicle. The common name figwort refers to the early use of the plants in treating hemorrhoids, an ailment once known as figs. The plants were also used as a tonic; in the 1800s an infusion of the roots was given as a treatment for insomnia and anxiety. Hare Figwort (S. lanceolata), similar to Maryland Figwort, has shiny flowers and a greenish-yellow fifth stamen; it is found from Alberta east to Nova Scotia, south to North Carolina, northwest to Ohio and Illinois, southwest to Oklahoma, and north to North Dakota. Figwort (S. nodosa), a very similar European species, has become established in New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey; it has a brownish-purple sterile stamen and usually finishes flowering in June.

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Subshrub
Flower:
Fruit:

Bloom Information

Bloom Time: Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , MS , NC , NE , NH , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , RI , SC , SD , TN , TX , VA , VT , WI , WV
Canada: ON
Native Distribution: Ontario and Quebec; Vermont and New Hampshire south to Florida, west to Texas, and north to South Dakota and Minnesota.
Native Habitat: Rich woods and thickets.
USDA Native Status: L48(N), CAN(N)

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees
Supports Conservation Biological Control

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

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

Metadata

Record Modified: 2008-05-22
Research By: TWC Staff

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