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Plant Database

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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Triosteum perfoliatum (Feverwort)
Cressler, Alan

Triosteum perfoliatum

Triosteum perfoliatum L.

Feverwort, Wild Coffee

Caprifoliaceae (Honeysuckle Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: TRPE5

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

A coarse plant with hairy, sticky stems and few-flowered clusters of small, tubular, red to greenish flowers in axils of upper leaves.

The fruit can be dried, roasted, ground, and used as a coffee substitute. The genus name refers to the fruit's trio of bony seeds. A closely related species with a similar range, Orange-Fruit Horse-Gentian (T. aurantiacum), has a smooth stem. Narrow-leaved Horse-Gentian (T. angustifolium) has yellow flowers and leaves to 2 inches (5 cm) long.

 

From the Image Gallery

6 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Fruit Type: Drupe
Size Notes: Up to about 4 feet tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Red , Yellow , Green , Purple
Bloom Time: May , Jun , Jul

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , CT , DE , GA , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , MI , MN , MO , NC , NE , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , RI , SC , TN , VA , WI , WV
Canada: ON
Native Distribution: Ontario and Quebec; New York and Massachusetts south to Georgia, west to Louisiana and Oklahoma, and north to Nebraska and Minnesota.
Native Habitat: Open, rocky woods and thickets.

From the National Organizations Directory

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

Mt. Cuba Center - Hockessin, DE

Web Reference

Webref 26 - Minnesota Wildflowers: a field guide to the flora of Minnesota (2009)
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

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

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-05-30
Research By: TWC Staff

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