Agalinis: Country Or Region Of Origin
North, Central, and South America.
Plant Profile: Agalinis
Taxonomy: AgalinisNames
False Foxglove, Gerardia, Purple Gerardia
Phonetic Spelling:ag-uh-LIN-us
Genus:Agalinis
Species:
Family:Orobanchaceae
The Agnus genus comprises seventy species distributed throughout North, Central, and South America. One notable example is the Purple Gerardia, a perennial wildflower that thrives in moist, acidic soils, often found in thickets and wetland areas. This plant plays a vital role in supporting local wildlife, particularly bees and butterflies.
Tags
#purple
#fall flowers
#perennial
#wildlife plant
#purple flowers
#pink flowers
#nectar plant
#fall interest
#wet sites
#specialized bees
#thickets
#acidic soil tolerant
#pollinator plant
#wildflower garden
#larval host plant
#wet soils tolerant
#butterfly friendly
#pollinator garden
#bee friendly
#bog gardens
#common buckeye butterfly
Similar Plants
Agalinis is often confused with:
Agalinis Feature Summary
Attributes
North, Central, and South America.
Members of the genus Agalinus support butterfly larvae and adults. Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia) larvae appear from May to October and in the deep south they appear year-round. Common Buckeye adult butterflies feed on flower nectar. Members of the genus Agalinis support the following specialized bee: Anthophorula (Anthophorisca) micheneri, Leaf-cutting bees (Megachile spp.). Syrphid flies feed on pollen.
Perennial
Wildlife Food Source
Fruit
Tiny, shiny, globular capsule with many seeds
Capsule
Green
Brown/Copper
Gold/Yellow
< 1 inch
< 1 inch
Flowers
1-in., pink-purple, bell-shaped with five rounded lobes, downy flowers in leaf axis; dark spots in throat; very short flower stalk
Pink
Purple/Lavender
Solitary
4-5 petals/rays
fused petals
Bell
< 1 inch
Leaves
Paired linear leaves, 1 to 1.5 in. long; smaller leaves clustered in the axils
Green
Simple
Alternate
Linear
1-3 inches
Whole Plant Traits
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Acid (<6.0)
Moist
Occasionally Wet
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Stem
Landscape
Butterfly Garden
Pollinator Garden
Wet Soil
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Butterflies
Pollinators
Bees
Specialized Bees
Agalinis Image Gallery
Agalinis Attributes
Agalinis: Wildlife Value
Members of the genus Agalinus support butterfly larvae and adults. Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia) larvae appear from May to October and in the deep south they appear year-round. Common Buckeye adult butterflies feed on flower nectar. Members of the genus Agalinis support the following specialized bee: Anthophorula (Anthophorisca) micheneri, Leaf-cutting bees (Megachile spp.). Syrphid flies feed on pollen.
Agalinis: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Agalinis: Play Value
Attractive Flowers
Attracts Pollinators
Buffer
Colorful
Defines Paths
Easy to Grow
Edible fruit
Fragrance
Pieces Used in Games
Screening
Shade
Sound
Textural
Wildlife Cover/Habitat
Wildlife Food Source
Wildlife Larval Host
Wildlife Nesting
Wind Break
Wind Shimmer
Agalinis Fruit
Agalinis: Fruit Description
Tiny, shiny, globular capsule with many seeds
Agalinis: Fruit Type
Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua
Agalinis: Fruit Color
Brown/Copper
Gold/Yellow
Green
Agalinis: Fruit Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Agalinis: Fruit Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Agalinis Flowers
Agalinis: Flower Description
1-in., pink-purple, bell-shaped with five rounded lobes, downy flowers in leaf axis; dark spots in throat; very short flower stalk
Agalinis: Flower Color
Pink
Purple/Lavender
Agalinis: Flower Inflorescence
Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel
Agalinis: Flower Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Agalinis: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Agalinis: Flower Petals
2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals
Agalinis: Flower Shape
Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel
Agalinis: Flower Size
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches
Agalinis Leaves
Agalinis: Leaf Description
Paired linear leaves, 1 to 1.5 in. long; smaller leaves clustered in the axils
Agalinis: Leaf Color
Green
Agalinis: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Agalinis: Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled
Agalinis: Leaf Shape
Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate
Agalinis: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Agalinis: Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Agalinis Whole Plant Traits
Agalinis: Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Agalinis: Maintenance
Low
Medium
High
Agalinis: Texture
Fine
Medium
Coarse
Agalinis Cultural Conditions
Agalinis: Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Agalinis: Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Agalinis: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Agalinis: Soil Texture
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Agalinis Stem
Agalinis: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Agalinis Landscape
Agalinis: Landscape Theme
Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden
Agalinis: Resistance To Challenges
Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind
Agalinis: Landscape Location
Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland
Agalinis: Attracts
Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees
