Upland Boneset
Growth habit
Herbaceous
Native distribution
Native to the Finger Lakes Region, North America
Cultivation
An uncommon plant with large, white, corymbose flower clusters on 2-4' tall upright stems.
Light: full sun to part shade.
Moisture and Soil: well drained; dry to moist, but not wet.
Propagation
Seed Treatment and Storage: moist cold stratify for 30-60-90 days.
Wildlife value
A variety of wasps, flies, and butterflies have been observed sucking nectar from upland boneset flowers, including the Eastern tailed blue butterfly (Everes comyntas), beewolf (Philanthus gibbosus), and double-banded scoliid (Scolia bicincta). The seeds are eaten by songbirds and wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo).
Location
Source of plant
Unknown
Description
Perennials, 50“100+ cm. Stems (from short caudices or rhizomes) single, sparsely branched distally, 5“10+ dm, glabrous or glabrate proximally, puberulent distally (among heads). Leaves usually opposite (distal sometimes alternate); simple, sessile; blades pinnately nerved, lanceolate to oblong, 70“150+ — 10“30 mm (lengths mostly 2“5 times widths), bases truncate to somewhat rounded, margins serrate, apices narrowly acute to acuminate, faces glabrate (scattered, fine hairs), gland-dotted. Heads in corymbiform arrays. Phyllaries 10“15 in 2“3 series, elliptic to oblong, 2“5 — 0.5“1.5 mm, apices rounded to acute (not mucronate), abaxial faces villous to puberulent, gland-dotted. Florets 5; corollas 3“3.5 mm. Cypselae 2“3 mm; pappi of 30“40 bristles 3“4 mm. 2n = 20, 30. Flowering Jul“Sep. Dry, open, edge.
USDA Hardiness Zone
3
Status
L1|S3S4|G5