MEET A PRAIRIE PLANT:
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| This prairie plant might look mighty familiar as it's currently blooming in our area. Silphium perfoliatum is Cup Plant, a prairie plant found standing tall in wetter soils, especially in ditches around the Des Moines metro area! Take a look; it's a fascinating plant. |
At Blooming Prairie Nursery, we focus a lot of attention on growing species that birds, butterflies and animals love. From insects and butterflies feeding on the summer flowers to birds munching the fall seeds, Cup Plant serves the masses. It even acts as a water source, holding water in its "cup" where the large leaves meet the stem.
Cup Plant is very easily propagated from seed after some stratifiation, and we have an abundance of young plants waiting for a new home.
The "cup." In a very moist setting, Cup Plant can grow around 8 feet high! In drier soils grows quite a bit shorter, but it's incredibly easy to grow in most settings!
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| Silphium perfoliatum is also considered carnivorous because it absorbs the insects that remain trapped in its cup of water! What a plant! |
One of my favorite posters of all times, "Blooming Heights" from the Jewels of the Prairie series illustrated by Mark Muller, showcases other Silphium species enormous height potential. Check out the Iowa Living Roadway Trust Fund site for more views of the other posters in the series. They are an amazing educational tool, and a person could pick up a set, too!
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