Native Plants

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Glase, Terry

Prosartes trachycarpa

Prosartes trachycarpa S. Watson

Roughfruit Fairybells, Wartberry Fairybells

Liliaceae (Lily Family)

Synonym(s): Disporum trachycarpum, Disporum trachycarpum var. subglabrum

USDA Symbol: prtr4

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

A beautiful woodland plant with 1-2 small, creamy white, narrowly bell-shaped flowers hanging beneath leaves at ends of forking branches.

The regularly forked branches of this attractive and orderly plant bear leaves that are mostly oriented horizontally. There are two other western species. Smith's Fairybells (P. smithii), which grows in moist woods on the western side of the Cascade Range and the Sierra Nevada from British Columbia south to central California, has the largest flowers, 1/2-1" (1.5-2.5 cm) long. Hooker's Fairybells (P. hookeri), which occurs from British Columbia south to northwestern Oregon and east to Alberta and western Montana, is very similar to Wartberry Fairybells, but the style is usually hairy, as are the upper surfaces of the leaves, and the hairs on the leaf edges point forward.

From the Image Gallery

4 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Fruit Type: Berry
Size Notes: Up to about 32 inches tall.
Fruit: Red

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White
Bloom Time: May , Jun , Jul , Aug

Distribution

USA: AZ , CO , ID , MI , MT , ND , NE , NM , OR , SD , UT , WA , WY
Canada: AB , BC
Native Distribution: British Columbia south to northeastern Oregon, east to eastern North Dakota, and south through Rocky Mountain region to western New Mexico and southern Arizona.
Native Habitat: Wooded areas, often near streams.

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:			FACU			UPL			UPL	FACU

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.

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

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-04-12
Research By: TWC Staff

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