Native Plant Database

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Flower:
Fruit:
Size Class: 3-6 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow
Bloom Time: Jul , Aug , Sep

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , DC , GA , IA , IL , IN , KY , MI , MO , MS , NC , OH , SC , TN , VA , WI , WV
Canada: ON
Native Distribution: S. Ont. & OH to MN, s. to SC, MS & AR
Native Habitat: Prairies; woodland borders; old fields
USDA Native Status: L48(N), CAN(N)

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Moist , Wet
Soil Description: Wet to mesic soils.
Conditions Comments: Not Available

Benefit

Use Other: The common name for Silphium is osinweed due to the copious resin exuded from injured parts of the plant. Prairie youngsters use the resin for chewing gum. It tastes like carrots and pine. (Lamb/Rhynard)
Attracts: Birds

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees
Special Value to Bumble Bees
Provides Nesting Materials/Structure for Native Bees

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

Propagation

Description: Propagate by sowing seed sowing unstratified seed in fall or stratified seed in spring. If producing transplants, sow seed late in the season as the rapid taproot growth will enable transplanting in fall or early spring.
Seed Collection: Collect in Sep. and Oct.
Seed Treatment: Moist stratification for 10 days.
Commercially Avail: yes

Find Seed or Plants

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

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

From the National Suppliers Directory

According to the inventory provided by Associate Suppliers, this plant is available at the following locations:

Ohio Prairie Nursery - Hiram, OH
Prairie Nursery - Westfield, WI

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 Plant Center at Westchester Community College, The - Valhalla, NY
Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

Bibliography

Bibref 946 - Gardening with Prairie Plants: How to Create Beautiful Native Landscapes (2002) Wasowski, Sally
Bibref 1262 - Plants of Carolinian Canada (1994) Lamb, Larry and Gail Rhynard
* The Midwestern Native Garden: Native Alternatives to Nonnative Flowers and Plants An Illustrated Guide (2011) Adelman, Charlotte and Schwartz, Bernard L.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

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