Silphium perfoliatum: Country Or Region Of Origin
Southeastern US
Plant Profile: Silphium perfoliatum
Taxonomy: Silphium perfoliatumNames
Common Cup-plant, Compass-plant, Cup-plant
Phonetic Spelling:SIL-phee-um pur-foe-lee-AY-tum
Genus:Silphium
Species:perfoliatum
Family:Asteraceae
This plant, characterized by its impressive height and size, is well-suited for prairie landscapes, native gardens, wildflower displays, and areas designed to blend with nature. It has the potential to self-seed.
Preferred habitats include open woodlands, meadows, prairies, and thickets.
Silphium perfoliatum Feature Summary
Silphium perfoliatum Image Gallery
Tags
#yellow
#full sun tolerant
#summer flowers
#food source summer
#food source nectar
#food source pollen
#coastal FAC
#Piedmont Mountains FAC
#food source hard mast fruit
#audubon
Similar Plants
Silphium perfoliatum is often confused with:
Silphium perfoliatum Feature Summary
Attributes
Southeastern US
Fruit
Displays from July to September
Summer
Flowers
2 to 3 in. flower head with 20 to 30 yellow petals. Blooms from June to August
Gold/Yellow
Summer
Fall
7 - 20 petals/rays
1-3 inches
Leaves
Two upper leaves surround the flower stalk, forming a shallow cup; large, rough, deeply pinnatified leaves; coarsely toothed lower leaves contract into a winged stalk
Green
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Stem
smooth, square stems
Smooth (glabrous)
Smooth/Hairless
Whole Plant Traits
Perennial
Wildflower
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)
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Mountains
Piedmont
4a
4b
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
3a
3b
9a
9b
Clay
Landscape
Butterflies
Songbirds
Silphium perfoliatum Image Gallery
Silphium perfoliatum Attributes
Silphium perfoliatum: Recommended Propagation Strategy
Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting
Silphium perfoliatum Fruit
Silphium perfoliatum: Fruit Description
Displays from July to September
Silphium perfoliatum: Display/Harvest Time
Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter
Silphium perfoliatum Flowers
Silphium perfoliatum: Flower Description
2 to 3 in. flower head with 20 to 30 yellow petals. Blooms from June to August
Silphium perfoliatum: Flower Color
Gold/Yellow
Silphium perfoliatum: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Silphium perfoliatum: 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
Silphium perfoliatum: Flower Size
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches
Silphium perfoliatum Leaves
Silphium perfoliatum: Leaf Description
Two upper leaves surround the flower stalk, forming a shallow cup; large, rough, deeply pinnatified leaves; coarsely toothed lower leaves contract into a winged stalk
Silphium perfoliatum: Leaf Color
Green
Silphium perfoliatum: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Silphium perfoliatum: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Silphium perfoliatum Stem
Silphium perfoliatum: Stem Description
smooth, square stems
Silphium perfoliatum: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Silphium perfoliatum: Stem Surface
Corky Ridges
Covered with a powdery bloom (glaucous)
Dull
Hairy (pubescent)
Polished
Smooth (glabrous)
Silphium perfoliatum: Stem Buds
Hairy
Hairy tips
Scaly
Smooth/Hairless
Silphium perfoliatum Whole Plant Traits
Silphium perfoliatum: 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
Silphium perfoliatum Cultural Conditions
Silphium perfoliatum: 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)
Silphium perfoliatum: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Silphium perfoliatum: NC Region
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Silphium perfoliatum: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
3a
3b
4a
4b
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
9a
9b
Silphium perfoliatum: Soil Texture
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Silphium perfoliatum Landscape
Silphium perfoliatum: Attracts
Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees
